Man runs naked on flight mid-air, knocks crew member to the floor: ‘Really distressing situation’
The man, who ran naked up and down the aisle and knocked down a crew member, was arrested by police at the airport.
A Melbourne-bound Virgin Australia flight had to turn around after a male passenger allegedly ran naked on it and knocked a crew member to the floor. According to reports, the incident happened after the flight took off from Perth.
Read| Dramatic video shows IndiGo passenger walking on plane's wing after bomb hoax on Delhi-Varanasi flight
Australian federal police officers were alerted by airport staff about the incident. Upon the flight’s arrival in Perth, they apprehended the man at the airport, The Guardian reported.
Passengers on the Melbourne-bound flight recount horror
While talking to The Guardian, a passenger said that an hour into the flight, he saw a naked man “running up the aisle” and “charging towards the front of the plane”.
The 23-year-old mining engineer flying to Melbourne for his university graduation added, “Initially, you think, God forbid, it could be an attack. It’s really distressing being on a plane in that situation.”
He further told the outlet that an individual from the business class intervened and was joined by others who pinned him down. He was then handcuffed and taken to the back of the plane.
Also Read| Pilot admits to delaying flight over an hour to get food for his crew. Watch viral video
Another passenger told Melbourne radio station 3AW that after the man went “bananas running up and down the aisle and bashing on the cockpit door”, two air marshals restrained him until the flight landed.
What did the Virgin spokesperson say?
Flight VA696 returned to Perth Airport due to a “disruptive passenger” who was “offloaded” by police, The Guardian quoted Virgin spokesperson as saying.
“The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority, and we sincerely apologise to guests impacted,” the spokesperson said.
Daily Mail reported that the man was taken to the hospital for assessment and will appear before Perth Magistrates Court on June 14. The charges against him have yet to be finalised.