David Knudsen
1st June 2011, 03:44 PM
Source: Brisbane Times (http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/travel/travel-incidents/plane-turns-back-fighter-jets-scramble-after-passenger-brawl-20110601-1ffg4.html)
A United Airlines flight turned back and made an emergency landing, escorted by fighter jets, after a fight broke out on board over a reclined seat.
US government and airline officials said the United Airlines plane with 144 people aboard returned to Washington-Dulles International Airport for an emergency landing escorted by two F-16 fighter jets after the fight broke out between passengers.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said Flight 990 bound for Accra, Ghana, returned to Dulles in Chantilly, Virginia, just after midnight on Sunday after a fist fight in the cabin.
Government officials confirmed that fighter jets were scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
United spokesman Mike Trevino said on Tuesday that the Boeing 767 dumped fuel as a safety precaution to lighten its weight on landing.
The Washington Post, which first reported the incident, said that the fight began not long after take-off when a passenger reclined his seat and a passenger behind him objected.
The newspaper reported that the offending seat was lowered soon after the overnight flight took off. Sources said that a flight attendant and another passenger tried to separate the fighting pair.
Cockpit audio reveals the passenger who sparked the fight was not "secured" by the crew, but had "settled down" before the flight touched down.
Upon landing, the plane was met by officers from the Dulles police force at the airport. They determined that the incident did not warrant charges.
As no charges were laid, the names of the passengers involved have not been disclosed.
AP
A United Airlines flight turned back and made an emergency landing, escorted by fighter jets, after a fight broke out on board over a reclined seat.
US government and airline officials said the United Airlines plane with 144 people aboard returned to Washington-Dulles International Airport for an emergency landing escorted by two F-16 fighter jets after the fight broke out between passengers.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said Flight 990 bound for Accra, Ghana, returned to Dulles in Chantilly, Virginia, just after midnight on Sunday after a fist fight in the cabin.
Government officials confirmed that fighter jets were scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
United spokesman Mike Trevino said on Tuesday that the Boeing 767 dumped fuel as a safety precaution to lighten its weight on landing.
The Washington Post, which first reported the incident, said that the fight began not long after take-off when a passenger reclined his seat and a passenger behind him objected.
The newspaper reported that the offending seat was lowered soon after the overnight flight took off. Sources said that a flight attendant and another passenger tried to separate the fighting pair.
Cockpit audio reveals the passenger who sparked the fight was not "secured" by the crew, but had "settled down" before the flight touched down.
Upon landing, the plane was met by officers from the Dulles police force at the airport. They determined that the incident did not warrant charges.
As no charges were laid, the names of the passengers involved have not been disclosed.
AP