A B737-300 FLC CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE FROM ATC AND GND SECURITY PERSONNEL WHEN AN IRRATIONAL PAX ATTEMPTS A COCKPIT BREAK IN AND HAS TO BE SEVERELY RESTR BY NUMEROUS OTHER PAX IN THE CABIN NEAR ZZZ; US.

Date: 2001-08 · Aircraft: B737-300

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|flight-deck-cabin-aircraft-event-passenger-misconduct

Synopsis

A B737-300 FLC CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE FROM ATC AND GND SECURITY PERSONNEL WHEN AN IRRATIONAL PAX ATTEMPTS A COCKPIT BREAK IN AND HAS TO BE SEVERELY RESTR BY NUMEROUS OTHER PAX IN THE CABIN NEAR ZZZ; US.

Narrative

ALL ASPECTS OF THE FLT WERE UNEVENTFUL UNTIL THE APCH PHASE INTO ZZZ. AT APPROX 13000 FT AND 10 TO 15 MINS FROM LNDG THERE WERE SEVERAL LOUD BANGS ON COCKPIT DOOR FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A YOUNG MALE BURSTING HEAD FIRST THROUGH THE MIDDLE EMER ESCAPE PANEL OF THE COCKPIT DOOR UP TO HIS UPPER CHEST AND SCREAMING SOMETHING LIKE; 'FLY THE PLANE MAN!'. OR POSSIBLY 'SOMEONE'S GOT TO FLY THE PLANE MAN!' I YELLED AT THE PAX TO GET OUT. THE YOUNG MAN PULLED OUT AND DID NOT RETURN. I TOLD FO TO TAKE THE RADIOS WHILE I ATTEMPTED TO RE-SECURE THE COCKPIT DOOR PANEL. THE PANEL COULD NOT BE RE-SECURED. I CONTACTED THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS TO ASCERTAIN THE CABIN SIT. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE YOUNG MALE HAD BEEN GRABBED BY A COUPLE OF MALE PAX; PLACED BACK IN HIS SEAT AND BUCKLED UP. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE YOUNG MAN HAD CALMED DOWN AND THAT THE SIT WAS UNDER CTL WITH A LARGE MALE PAX SITTING NEXT TO HIM READY TO CTL HIM. I THEN REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING LNDG CLRNC FROM APCH CTL AND I TOLD APCH THAT I HAD A PAX PROBLEM ON BOARD. I CONTACTED OPS AND REQUESTED ARPT SECURITY POLICE MEET THE ACFT. AT THIS POINT; WE WERE APPROX 10000 FT AND 10 TO 15 MI SW OF THE ZZZ ARPT JUST ABOUT TO TURN DOWNWIND FOR RWY. TWR/APCH ASKED IF WE WANTED OPPOSITE DIRECTION LNDG TO RWY. I DECIDED THAT AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION APPROACH WOULD REQUIRE AN AGGRESSIVE 330 DEG DSCNT DUE TO OUR ALT AND PROX FROM THE FIELD AND ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO THE ACTIVE RWY. AT APPROX THIS TIME THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED THE COCKPIT AND TOLD ME THAT THE YOUNG MAN HAD GOTTEN OUT OF SEAT AGAIN AND WAS BEING RESTRAINED ON THE CABIN FLOOR BY HALF A DOZEN PAX. I ASKED TWR AT THAT TIME TO HAVE THE POLICE MEET THE ACFT. TWR THEN CLEARED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH. SOMEWHERE IN THE DOWNWIND OR BASE TO FINAL TURN THE FLT ATTENDANTS CONTACTED ME AGAIN TO REQUEST PARAMEDICS BECAUSE THERE WAS A FIGHT. THE FLT ATTENDANT ALSO WANTED ME TO KNOW THAT THERE WERE GOING TO BE PAX HOLDING THE YOUNG MAN DOWN ON THE FLOOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CABIN AND THEREFORE WOULD NOT BE BUCKLED IN THEIR SEATS FOR LNDG. I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I WAS AWARE OF THE SIT AND THAT HE HAD MY PERMISSION TO HAVE THE MEN RESTRAINING THE YOUNG MAN ON THE FLOOR AND NOT IN THEIR SEATS. AFTER LNDG I DIRECTED FO TO MAKE A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT TO HAVE THE PAX REMAIN IN THEIR SEATS AFTER WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER ENG SHUT DOWN; THE POLICE AND PARAMEDICS ENTERED THE ACFT AND PROCEEDED TO TAKE OVER THE SIT REGARDING THE YOUNG MAN.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.