Airline passenger duct-taped to seat after groping and punching flight attendants
Unruly passenger claims his parents are worth ‘more than f***ing two million goddamn dollars’
A passenger on a Frontier Airlines flight was duct-taped to his chair after allegedly punching a male flight attendant and groping female members of the crew, yelling obscenities, and walking around the plane with his shirt off.
WPVI-TV in Philadelphia reported that 22-year-old Maxwell Berry from Norwalk, Ohio was arrested after his flight from Philadelphia landed in Miami on Saturday.
Mr Berry had two drinks on the plane and used his empty cup to touch the backside of a female crew member. He reportedly spilt his third drink on his shirt and went to the restroom – later coming out shirtless.
After being helped by one of the flight attendants to get a new shirt from his carry-on, he walked around the plane for 15 minutes before groping the chests of several women on the flight crew.
A male flight attendant walked to Mr Berry’s seat to oversee his actions, at which point Mr Berry allegedly punched the crew member in the face.
He was then restrained by other passengers and duct-taped to his seat for the rest of the flight and was arrested after landing.
ABC reporter Sam Sweeney tweeted a video filmed by one of the other passengers.
Mr Berry can be heard screaming “you guys f***ing suck” in the video. He also claimed that his parents are worth "more than f***ing two million goddamn dollars”.
In an inaudible comment, Mr Berry appeared to also mention his grandfather’s wealth.
A Frontier Airlines spokesperson told the ABC affiliate that the flight crew is suspended from flying until the incident has been investigated.
“During a flight from Philadelphia to Miami on July 31, a passenger made inappropriate physical contact with a flight attendant and subsequently physically assaulted another flight attendant. As a result, the passenger needed to be restrained until the flight landed in Miami and law enforcement arrived,” the spokesperson said.
“The flight attendants will be, as required in such circumstances, relieved of flying pending completion of an investigation.”
Passenger Alfredo Rivera captured the altercation on video. “He was starting to get aggressive and basically attacked the male flight attendant,” Mr Rivera told ABC.
After landing, Mr Berry was handcuffed by police and taken to Miami-Dade County Jail. He has been charged with three counts of battery.
Last month, a female passenger was also taped to her seat after allegedly trying to open a plane door mid-flight as well as assaulting crew members. The altercation occurred on an American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas to Charlotte, North Carolina.
The incidents come as flight attendants experience an increased level of violence on flights, often stemming from masking requirements. The Federal Aviation Administration has said that they have received 2.500 reports of problematic behaviour since January of this year.
The FAA has also said that those who assault flight attendants can face jail time and up to $35.000 in fines.