A CABIN ATTENDANT FOR A MAJOR ACR RPTS THAT A PAX BECAME SO THREATENING THAT THE FLC RETURNED TO THE ARPT. POLICE AND SECURITY PERSONNEL REMOVED THE PAX AND INCARCERATED HIM IN THE LCL PRISON.

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ON BOARDING OF PAX FOR A FLT FROM SCL TO DFW; THE GATE AGENT INFORMED THE PURSER THAT ONE COACH PAX HAD BEEN DRINKING; BUT THAT THE AGENT HAD TALKED TO HIM; TOLD HIM THAT HE COULD NOT DRINK ANY MORE ALCOHOL ON PLANE. PAX SAID OK AND THAT HE WOULD BEHAVE AND ONLY WANTED TO GO TO SLEEP. COACH FA'S EXPRESSED CONCERN TO PURSER THAT PAX APPEARED INTOXICATED ON BOARDING. PURSER DISCUSSED OUR ACR'S POLICY OF NOT BOARDING INTOXICATED PERSONS AND EVEN SHOWED A LETTER DISCUSSING POLICY TO THE AGENT. THE AGENT REPLIED THAT HE INTERPRETED 'INTOXICATED' AS 'NOT BEING ABLE TO WALK OR TALK' ANYMORE. I THINK THIS CULTURAL DIFFERENCE IN DEFINITION OF INTOXICATION WAS A PROBLEM. WE NEED ALL STATIONS AND PERSONNEL TO HAVE THE SAME AND CLEAR-CUT DEFINITION OF WHAT INTOXICATED MEANS! PURSER THEN TOLD CAPT OF THE SIT AND SHOWED HIM THE LETTER. HE TOLD HER TO GO LOOK AT THE MAN AND MAKE THE DECISION. I THINK THIS WAS A PROBLEM; ALSO. HE IS IN CHARGE OF THE ACFT SAFETY; AND I FEEL HE SHOULD HAVE MADE THE DECISION HIMSELF. THE PURSER WENT BACK TO LOOK AT THE PAX AND AGREED TO TAKE HIM. I THINK SHE WAS PUT IN A BAD POSITION BY THE AGENT AND CAPT TO HAVE TO DO THIS. ON CLB OUT THE PAX LIT UP A CIGARETTE. THE MAN BEHIND HIM TAPPED HIM ON THE SHOULDER AND TOLD HIM THERE WAS NO SMOKING ALLOWED. HE CURSED BACK AT HIM AND THREATENED HIM. A FEMALE FA #2 CAME UP AND ASKED THE SMOKER WHERE HIS CIGARETTE WAS. HE HAD HIDDEN IT; AND SHE WAS AFRAID OF A FIRE. SHE TOLD THE SMOKER THAT SHE COULD SMELL THE SMOKE. HE GOT UP AND IN HER FACE. SHE SAID SHE FELT THREATENED AND AFRAID. FA #3; A MALE; CAME FORWARD TO HELP. DRUNK THREATENED TO KILL HIM AND BECAME MORE MENACING. HE THEN THREATENED TO KILL ENTIRE CREW. HE WAS VERY LARGE AND FA'S WERE VERY SCARED. SEVERAL CAME FORWARD TO FIRST CLASS TO TELL THE PURSER AND THE CAPT. WE HAD NOT EVEN REACHED CRUISING ALT AT THIS TIME. THE FE CAME OUT OF COCKPIT TO SEE IF HE COULD TALK TO THE MAN; BUT THE MAN JUST BECAME MORE BELLIGERENT. THE FE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND CAPT CALLED SANTIAGO FOR CLRNC TO RETURN AND LAND. HE MADE A PA TO TELL PAX THAT WE HAD A SMALL MECHANICAL PROBLEM SO THAT THE DRUNK PAX WOULD NOT BECOME EVEN MORE UPSET THAT WE WERE RETURNING BECAUSE OF HIM. HE WAS VERY AGITATED AND KEPT ASKING WHY WE WERE GOING BACK. COACH FA'S NEAR HIM; THAT HE THREATENED; WERE RE-SEATED AWAY FROM HIM. IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES WE LANDED. THE CAPT'S PA ASKED ALL PAX TO STAY IN THEIR SEATS WHEN THE DOOR WAS OPENED. SANTIAGO POLICE; ARPT SECURITY AND AGENTS MET THE PLANE. ABOUT 8 PEOPLE CAME ON BOARD TO REMOVE HIM FROM HIS SEAT. HE FOUGHT AND RESISTED THEM ALL THE WAY OFF THE PLANE. ON THE JETBRIDGE; THEY GOT HIM ON THE GND AND SUBDUED HIM. THE CAPT AND A MALE FA WENT WITH THE POLICE TO THE STATION TO FILL OUT FORMS AND PRESS CHARGES. THE POLICE INSISTED UPON THIS. OUR FLT WAS DELAYED APPROX 2 HOURS DUE TO THIS; AND THE FACT THAT IT TOOK THAT LONG FOR OUR BRAKES TO COOL OFF SO THAT WE COULD TAKE OFF AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM WAS BASICALLY CAUSED BY THE GATE AGENT'S LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT BOARDING INTOXICATED PAX AND HIS MISINTERPRETATION OF THE DEFINITION OF INTOXICATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CABIN ATTENDANT SAID THAT THE PAX WAS OBVIOUSLY DRUNK AND SHE AND THE AGENT DIFFERED AS TO THE MEANING OF 'INTOXICATED' IN THEIR POLICY MANUALS. SHE WAS ALSO UPSET THAT THE CAPT DID NOT TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION EITHER. AFTER THIS INCIDENT THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE OFFERED CRISES MANAGEMENT COUNSELING BY THE COMPANY. THE RPTR DID NOT ATTEND; BUT SHE APPRECIATED THE OFFER. THE BOARDING AGENTS WERE ALSO BRIEFED; APPARENTLY; AND LAST WEEK THE RPTR HAD A CHANCE TO DISCUSS THIS INCIDENT WITH THEM. THEY WERE VERY APOLOGETIC AND DURING BOARDING FOUND A SIMILAR CASE WHICH WAS HANDLED QUICKLY BY THE AGENTS. THE PREVIOUSLY DISRUPTIVE PAX IS STILL IN JAIL AWAITING TRIAL ON ASSAULT AGAINST THE POLICE.