Man Bites and Assaults Fellow Passengers on Delta Flight

In these strange times filled with political unrest and a small series of plane crashes, one has to wonder what’s going on in the world. Yet, all we can do is take things in stride because there are new reports about a man who recently bit and assaulted other passengers on a plane. 

When a Delta flight landed in LAX on Tuesday, March 18th, staff on board reported that they had to restrain an adult man who bit one passenger and hit others. If it seems bizarre, that’s because it is. Thankfully, the crew on board handled the issue accordingly and, as of now, there are no major injuries to report.

Restraint and Hospitalization

When the authorities arrived, an ambulance immediately took the man in question to a hospital for psychological evaluation. Then, it returned again to take the passenger who was injured to the emergency room. While it’s unclear what happened after either trip to the hospital, one thing remains true: the man in question could certainly face civil or criminal penalties. 

A spokeswoman for Delta has already come forward to remind the public that Delta has a zero-tolerance policy for unruly behavior and will cooperate with law enforcement to the fullest extent. 

Unruly Passengers Are Not Uncommon

We’ve all seen it at some time or another. There’s usually that one unruly passenger who’s a little too loud or had a little bit too much to drink. There’s not much we can do about it except keep a low profile. 

And that’s the best way to handle these situations because the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported over 2,000 incidents of unruly passengers in 2024. In this year, alone, over 300 reports have already been logged. 

Legal Repercussions

Not only can an airline come after an unruly passenger, but so can the FAA. It’s very clear on its stance regarding unruly passengers. The agency will pursue legal against any such person who intimidates, threatens, or assaults crewmembers. It has also been known to pursue civil penalties upwards of $37,000 per violation.

To no surprise, the period of time with the highest number of assaults was during the pandemic when stress and strain were at an all-time high. Thankfully, we’re past that now and can continue moving forward in a more positive direction. 

Stay Alert and Stay Safe 

Crew members are trained for these types of situations. Typically, we can rely on them to take care of all their passengers. Still, we must do everything we can to stay alert and stay safe. The best thing we can do is retreat if we start to sense that tensions are rising on a flight. 

As we monitor this story and more, keep coming back for continual updates on the world around us. We’re all in this together and that’s a good thing because there’s tremendous strength in numbers.