U.S. Airways Passenger Goes Crazy On Flight, Cops On Board Subdue Him

A passenger on a Hawaii-bound U.S. Airways flight went "crazy" on Wednesday, saying he had a gun and stripping off his clothes in flight.

U.S. Airways Flight 20 from Phoenix to Honolulu was roughly two hours away from its destination when the passenger started "having a panic attack", saying he had a gun and wanted off the plane immediately. The unidentified man also started stripping.

That's when two Jersey City cops, en route to a colleague's wedding in Hawaii, stepped in. Flight attendants made an announcement asking if there were any law enforcement officials on board and Officers Robert Taino Jr. and Paul Fennel volunteered their services. The man, who rushed the cockpit shirtless, was then tackled by the cops and two other passengers. The officers were given plastic handcuffs by the flight attendants, which they used to bind the man's hands before walking him to the back of the plane and standing with him there for the remainder of the flight, MyFox.com reports.

The plane was met by FBI agents, Homeland Security officers and members of the Honolulu Sheriff's Department. The Jersey City cops went on their way.

Jersey City Police Chief Thomas Comey issued a statement to MyFox.com saying: "The actions of Police Officer's Paul Fennell and Robert Taino Jr. should be commended. During a difficult situation they responded quickly and professionally to a potential threat on an airliner with disregard for their own safety. The Department as well as the City should be proud of these officers as their actions are a reflection of the dedication and hard work of the men and women of the Jersey City Police Department."

Comments

[jacksparrow34]

09:18 PM on 11/25/2011

So US pilot didn't perceived this threat? maybe because the guy wasn't dark enough? ;-)

[captpeterw]

08:08 PM on 11/25/2011

I'm glad the two officers were commended. Now, how commending the two passengers who assisted them and the flight attendants who were as professional as the officers? Well???

[ONLYGRAYCLOUDS]

05:26 AM on 10/24/2011

this is kind of funny to me because all of a sudden he just went off like a little switch went off in his head , and then he tried to go in the cock pit now thats when it gets dangerous .The only thing that i dont understand that made me laugh is that he started stripping and he said he had a gun and he didnt have a gun .I dont understand why a man would act so strange all of a sudden if he was on the plane the whole time and they were getting close to the destination and thats when he decides to freak out? I can understand some people getting freaked out when getting on planes but he was on the plane the whole time even worse he put himself on the plane and then he wants to get off the plane in a fury,it sounds like this man is either mentally disabled or he was on some kind of drugs.This man will have to deal with the FBI and homeland security now for his outburst lol.This story is lacking, why doesnt this story say what happened after they got off the plane like where did they take him?to jail of course but did they question him on why he did it?

[maybesomeday]

08:56 AM on 11/24/2011

It may be funny now but I doubt any of the passengers were laughing while it was happening. My best friends husband is a Jersey City cop, those are the kind of cops you don't want to mess with. They are amongst the toughest cops in this country. Just look at the dirt bags they have to deal with on a daily basis...

[wonderfullone]

01:28 AM on 10/24/2011

Well the man got his wish at the police station when he stripped for the policemen during his strip search before booking him.

[writeon1]

07:18 PM on 10/23/2011

No shoes, no shirt, no service? Oh yeah, USAir never has service.

[Barbara DeZan]

03:37 PM on 10/23/2011

Well, it was, after all, USAir

My daughter has to fly this outfit several times a year to/from Europe......

She says she's felt the same way many times....HA

Thankfully, vodka, a neck pillow and earplugs keep her more animal instincts under control

[rsstone74]

03:24 PM on 10/23/2011

Clearly, the man who made the threats has a problem. It would help, though, if those seats weren't so dog-gone narrow. On a flight from NYC two weeks ago, a 6' 2" slender man sat next to me, with his elbows on the armrest--and in my ribs. It was very annoying. More annoying was coming home to read about two over-weight individuals who had been ordered off planes for being too fat. Frankly, I'd rather sit next to someone who is overweight, but who keeps their elbows in their own seat than a tall man with long arms whose elbows poke into my ribs. It's wrong to discriminate against any one -- including he over-weight.

[attydallas3]

03:22 PM on 10/23/2011

"The actions of Police Officer's

Errr, should be "police officers" .. Looks like the Chief needs some grammar lessons ..

[Joaniejaye]

03:01 PM on 10/23/2011

Oh poor soul. Any one could have a panic attack. It can happen to anyone. It's time we show love and treat people with more respect. We have no control over sickness or some of what happen to us. Of course if someone said he or she has gun, it is the rights of law enforcement to investigate it because we cannot take any chances any more. There are lots of high jacks that happen on planes, and moreso since 911. I hope that that this person was taken to the hospital for evaluation of the the mind along with checking out to see if there any other diagnosis. I did not know that panic attack gets that bad where it allow someone to act that way. I am learning something new every day and I value them all.

[Barbara DeZan]

03:39 PM on 10/23/2011

As one who suffered severe panic attacks throughout my 30's and 40's, I can sympathize.

However, I never threatened my children or husband,,,,not freaked out threating violence.

BTW: Tossed husbandf out the door in 1981.....no more panic/anxiety attacks at all....(GRIN)

[lindamom]

06:59 PM on 10/23/2011

You just earned yourself another fan Joanie!

[Kay York]

02:56 PM on 10/23/2011

Here is a pat on the back for the Jersey City police officers. Thank you for a good job done when asked for help and to the two other passengers who also helped!

[thm4usa]

02:55 PM on 10/23/2011

It used to be that stewardesses were young, beautiful, friendly and slim! Damn, I wanted to strip several of them in the back of the plane!

[Ginny M Brownrigg]

02:25 PM on 10/23/2011

Geesus, the guy had a panic attack. Not an AK-47! Most of us have had this scary episode at least once in a life time. He needed xanax and some gentle talking to. When will air-lines be allowed to use these methods? Of course it makes others anxious. So give him the dam pills and fly the dam plane!

[GOODDOC1]

04:51 PM on 10/23/2011

He said he had a gun, and he tried to rush the cockpit. I don't think a "gentle talking to" would have been appropriate until they knew there was no risk to passengers or crew.

[lindamom]

07:09 PM on 10/23/2011

As always Doc, the voice of reason, thanks again...

[bbc7640]

05:41 PM on 10/23/2011

Thank you! I suffer from panic attacks and just recently I realized that this could very well happen to me if I was traveling on an airplane. For some reason you suddenly get claustrophobic and the panic sets in real quick when you realize you can't get out of your seat belt/seat. You really just need some room to move but of course on a plane they'd say you cannot take off your seat belt and you must stay in your seat which makes the attack even worse and that's when a person really starts freaking out.
I think all airlines should have a nurse, Dr. or some kind of medical personnel on board to not only treat people having panic attacks but to treat any medical emergency in the air. Anyone with panic attacks should be able to get medication from their Dr. before getting on an airplane or they should voluntarily be evaluated and have that information entered into the airlines data base so they know this person suffers from anxiety/panic attacks and should they become a problem in the air he/she could be given a hefty dose, whatever recommended by the Dr.

[lindamom]

07:12 PM on 10/23/2011

Good post bbc from one who "gets" it. Well said and thought-provoking. I know I would feel better with medical personel on hand but the airlines probably feel it's too expensive, as they do everything. Thanks, but sorry you KNOW too...

[Jimmy Wang]

07:22 AM on 10/24/2011

Tell me why it is the airlines responsibility when you are having medical issues onboard? It is totally the luck of the draw that you will have someone who is medically qualified to treat you. Tell me a medical professional that is willing to work for starting salary of $25K/year that comes with all the abuse from the passengers? My medical school bill is approaching $750K and I owe about $500K in student loans..Who is going to pay me for my services?

[anilimili]

02:18 PM on 10/23/2011

Am glad no one was hurt--not even the guy who had the panic attack. In some ways, the police officers effectively distracted him from his panic, and stayed with him till the plane landed, which is probably the best thing anyway. As for the risk to other passengers--this man may not have been a real danger to others, but people under duress can do all manner of things, and CAN be dagerous. Some years ago there was a story of a panicked man who was holding a pen (yes, I know, this does not sound terribly dangerous, but it was pointed at the jugular!) to an attendant's neck, demanding that they open a door on the plane 'immediately' because he was getting impossibly claustrophobic. He was crazed and had it not been for someone (don't remember if it was crew or passneger) distracting him and someone grabbing him from the back and getting him off the attendant, he might've caused serious injury or worse. So...if someone is out of control on a flight, there is not much more to do other than subdue them and keep everyone safe till landing, when the cause can be sorted out.
These guys stepped forward and did what was needed to do, and it sounds without inflicting violence or too much force. They should be commended, even if some here think that this is no big deal. A big deal may well have been AVERTED because of their response.

[lindamom]

07:17 PM on 10/23/2011

Good post, interesting. I do feel for the guy when they put the cuffs on him as he was freaking out for freedom, but I know it was necessary...sad story for all.

[anilimili]

09:05 PM on 10/23/2011

Yes, I agree. He probably felt horrible to even get to the point where he started acting crazy. Don't envy him or anyone else who suffers panic attack. They are, I understand, very much as the word implies--terrifying to experience.

[Carla Rae H]

02:10 PM on 10/23/2011

I love how the Jersey City police chief has to grab his opportunity for recognition and hail these two officers as heroes... lol Heroes for what? Knocking a guy down and handcuffing him? Even if he claimed to have a gun, he didn't have one... And he stripped himself so I doubt they really thought he was concealing one. I'[m not saying the guy didn't need to be sat down and quieted, but to pretend there was anything heroic about their apprehension of him is laughable.

On another note, I wonder why there are so many people who seem to be suffering from panic attacks in the sky. Well, I don't actually wonder why since panic attacks are caused by an inner ear problem and the flight altitude and cabin pressure, etc naturally changes the pressure in one's inner ears. But what I mean is I wonder whether it has always been this frequent and we are only hearing more about it now since 9/11... Or if it really is a sort of 'new' thing happening. I tend to think it's just noted more since 9/11.

But what concerns me is because of 9/11 people who are suffering from genuine problems which are triggered by flying might be charged with crimes they haven't committed. I mean if they are mistaken for attempted terrorism when they really are just having a panic attack? Is anyone else concerned about this?

[anilimili]

02:24 PM on 10/23/2011

Panic attacks are not caused by inner-ear problems and altitude changes. They are caused by people's mental and emotional conditions that are triggered by irrational fears about flying and disproportionate catastrophizing about what can happen and how helpless they feel 'closed up' in the plane as they are. It is a PSYCHOLOGICAL condition, not a physiological one, even if the response of their bodies involved physiological reactions such as rapid heart beat, too-rapid-breathing, increased adrenaline and so on.

It is quite possible that more people are afraid of flying since 9/11, though there have always been people who had panic attacks on flight. As for the reaction and interpretation of someone's out-of-control behavior: I think that for the most part people are going to try and investigate what the cause of this was, but they may not be able to do it onboard and they have to take precautions while on flight. While this might indeed result in someone being treated as a 'terrorist till proven otherwise' while on the plane, I don't know that there is a full-proof way to make the differential 'diagnosis' while en-route, when a person might well continue to be out of control, aggressive, and even 'talk suicidal'. Panic attacks are horrible, and people need to get treatment for them, but there is not much a crew in the sky can do if someone is having one, other than keep everyone safe.

[Carla Rae H]

03:50 PM on 10/23/2011

There have been studies done that prove a physiological link in panic attacks. They conclude it is a problem with the inner ear. Also, the fact that almost every person who takes a certain inexpensive over-the-counter medication to control panic attacks is suddenly panic-attack-free, and that this same medication regulates the pressure on the inner ear, isn't a coincidence. Not trying to be argumentative, but this is something I know for a fact.

I don't dispute that in some cases people may have panic attacks for other reasons - such as phobias. But I will say that even in those cases, most can still be traced back to an inner ear problem. Sounds too simple to be true. It certainly is easily/inexpensively controlled - which may be why some professionals refuse to accept certain studies. It would mean a huge loss of income for doctors who treat 'fears', 'phobias' and 'mental conditions'. Anyone suffering from panic attacks would do themselves a huge favor to get their ears tested.

I agree that regardless of what is causing a passenger to be disruptive, they need to be settled down and restrained if necessary. I certainly wasn't saying that they shouldn't be. I was merely voicing my concern that some people may be charged with crimes when there wasn't intention of committing a crime and were just overcome by whatever ails them.

I agree that panic attacks are horrible. I wouldn't wish them on anyone. Thanks for your response. :o)

[rocknhula]

03:17 PM on 10/23/2011

The line I liked by the police chief was they did this "without any regard for their own safety." That's like the line from the movie Dr. Strangelove where the general says "The average commie has no regard for human life, not even his own!" Good goin chief! Let your public affairs person take care of this in the future.

[Carla Rae H]

03:51 PM on 10/23/2011

LOL

[lrk1]

02:10 PM on 10/23/2011

So the "brilliance" of TSA comes out again!!!!! The clip about the guy with the collapsible knife, the TSA said the agents need to be more concerned about explosives and explosive devices ...well guys, those 9/11 terrrorists had box cutters and no explosives nor explosive devices!! Might need to reevaluate!

[Barbara DeZan]

03:42 PM on 10/23/2011

You must trust me on this:

No one, not even TSA can tell by looking is someone is going to have an anxiety attack.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Use brain before engaging mouth.