One flight was forced to return to a Minnesota airport more than an hour after takeoff, thanks to two unruly passengers, according to authorities.
A report of a midair meltdown caused a Delta flight from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to return to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Wednesday, about 75 minutes after takeoff.
Delta Flight 2565 left at about 6:20 p.m. only to return at 7:35 p.m. according to airport spokesman Patrick Hogan.
According to reports, the drama began as 35-year-old passenger Blake A. Fleisig’s girlfriend, Anna C. Koosmann, 36, tried to use the bathroom just after takeoff, which is prohibited.
A flight attendant reportedly asked her to sit down, and that’s when the couple allegedly lost it.
The pilot returned to Minneapolis, where police boarded the aircraft and took the two unruly passengers into custody. And as they did, fellow passengers actually began cheering.
Video of the incident shows Fleisig get loose and apparently throw a punch at another passenger on board. Cops then took him down.
“As they were being escorted off the plane, the male passenger was getting yelled at, both of them were by passengers,” Patrick Whalen, who shot the video, told Inside Edition. “That is why you see in the video he took a swing at one… He actually punched someone at that point.”
The couple was arrested and was charged with disorderly conduct.
“The flight crew of Delta 2565 from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Los Angeles elected to return to Minneapolis shortly after takeoff when two passengers refused to follow crew instructions, became aggressive and created a disruption in the cabin,” the airline said in a statement.
“The passengers were removed by local law enforcement. The flight redeparted without further incident. The safety of delta customers and employees is our top priority.”
ABC
