US flight attendant attacked on United aircraft by unruly passenger, FBI launches probe

A recent incident of an unruly passenger in the United States questioned the safety of flight attendants. After sending two passengers and one member of the flight crew to the hospital, a disruptive passenger is being investigated. A passenger on a United Airways flight became agitated after shouting that her child needed to vomit, which resulted in a violent conflict with flight attendants.  

According to a Daily Mail report, the incident took place when the woman got up as the plane was starting to land on a journey from San Francisco to Chicago on Sunday morning. Further, the flight attendants instructed her to sit down. Following that, the woman punched a flight attendant, who was subsequently taken to a hospital in Chicago. Besides this, a 3-year-old child and another woman were sent to hospitals for observation. 

The violent incident in United flight 476

Furthermore, the FBI and the FAA are currently looking into this matter. After the aircraft touched down at Chicago's O'Hare airport, Chicago police detained the passenger, who has been identified as Sarah. After landing in Chicago early on Sunday morning, United Airlines reports that a "disruptive customer" who was travelling on flight 476 from San Francisco was "removed by law enforcement." 

In a statement to CNN, United claimed that "one member of the flight attendant crew was taken to a hospital for evaluation." We're grateful to our crew for handling this difficult situation with professionalism and for putting the safety of our team and our customers first", it added. 

Besides this, the crew reported an irate passenger, and United Airlines Flight 476, a Boeing 777-200, successfully landed at Chicago O'Hare International Airport at approximately 6 a.m. (local) on Sunday, according to a statement from the FAA. Three passengers from the aircraft were sent to Resurrection Hospital "for observation," as per Chicago Police, who also note that no criminal charges have been brought against anybody. 

Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, which represents flight attendants working for United Airlines, stated there is "zero tolerance" for this type of disturbance. 

According to a poll by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, 85% of flight attendants reported experiencing abuse in 2021, and the episode is reigniting demands for more safety for them. 

(Image: Twitter/ @PeterKondelis)