A320
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Passenger Misconduct; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Returned To Gate; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Aircraft; Human Factors; Weather
We pushed off gate late after incurring several delays (late inbound aircraft and ramp closures due to lightning). Upon taxiing out thunderstorms delayed the flight from departing for approximately two hours. While number three for takeoff flight received ACARS message from Dispatch to return to gate for inspection due to possible hail damage. After arriving at the gate Captain asked First Officer to contact operations asking for Complaint Resolution Officer due to unruly passenger. Observation of passenger indicated he was extremely belligerent; agitated; and was filming crew threatening legal action. His behavior was becoming increasingly hostile and unpredictable upsetting other passengers and making flight attendants fearful for their safety. Captain made the decision to call for law enforcement to guard against any physical violence escalation. After the Conflict Resolution person arrived the entire aircraft was deplaned (hail inspection) and unruly passenger placed on later flight at crews request. Law enforcement never appeared despite Captain's request from CSR and supervisor. This is a clear indication of overriding Captain's authority; responsibility; and decision to request law enforcement. The Captain now does not have the confidence law enforcement will be called when necessary.
Flight was delayed due to weather. Held at gate due to ramp closure twice. Finally taxied out; sat on taxiway with bad weather and a wheels up time. Was away from the gate for maybe around two hours. (I do not have the brake release to brake set time).Hail pelted A320; we were instructed to return to gate Returned to gate; agent opened aircraft door and disappeared without giving passengers instructions or me; the purser. Captain told passengers they could get off the aircraft. Later found out agents at the gate were working [a different] flight at that gate but we used the gate so [they] gate changed.At least one agent should have stayed at that gate with our flight and should have instructed passengers on what to do; since we had been on the taxiway for so long and now were back at the gate with a mechanical. The agent just opened the aircraft door and left. They should not have done that after we were out on the ramp for an extended amount of time and we did not know how long the delay was going to be; passengers did not know what to do. So the passengers started coming up front to ask me questions. I could not answer the questions since the agent did not give us any instructions at that opening of the door. Captain went up the jet bridge to help an elderly non English speaking passenger because we had no wheelchairs meet the flight and the agent left us without me being able to tell her we needed a wheelchair. So the captain helped the elderly woman up the jet bride and told me he would also get an agent to come back down to instruct the passengers; the agent never should have left us after she opened the door; did not even tell me and everyone else she was now going to go over to the next gate; so the captain went up to find an agent to instruct the passengers. At this point a passenger came up to door 1L where I was; turned on his phone and started videotaping me saying he was recording and this was going to go to court. Mr. X was agitated and appeared to be crazy. I looked at the first officer; and told him to go get an agent immediately and get this Mr. X off the plane as he made me fear for my safety and felt threatened. So the first officer left the plane to get a Customer Service Representative (CSR); as the captain had not come back yet. Now it was just 3 flight attendants; all by ourselves dealing with quite a few upset passengers up by door 1L and I stared to fear for our safety as if anything happened to one of us; especially by Mr. X; we could not get off the plane with a plane full of passengers and we had no assistance. A CSR supervisor and the captain at some point; finally came back down to the plane and both had instructed us they had called for police assistance for Mr. X but [the company] would not send the police to the gate to get Mr. X off the plane. It is very unsafe for us to not be able to have police come to our assistance when it is needed. How unsafe and negligent of [our company to] not allow the police to come down when a captain who is responsible for his aircraft; crew and passengers; calls for police assistance. This is the only tool a crew has to remove an irate; videotaping passenger who won't comply with crew member instructions and stop videotaping us. Videotaping of crew needs to be illegal. We felt unsafe and threatened.A CSR customer service passenger handling supervisor finally came down and started talking to Mr. X; then another person came down; then another person came down. Mr. X at first got off the plane to talk to the first supervisor; but got back on the plane and would not get off the plane when another supervisor woman wanted to talk to him so she got on the plane to talk to him; we was still videotaping saying a bunch of stuff and that this video was going to court. Mr. X kind of had her up against door 1R still videotaping her and saying things in a threatening tone but I could not quite hear what he was saying.So we ended up deplaning the whole planeso we could get Mr. X off and also because I think [the company] was unsure of the delay because they had to check the aircraft for hail damage. Finally we had some help down on the plane. So number 1. When we returned to the gate a CSR should have stayed with the gate; and made sure an announcement telling the passengers what to do should have been made because those not getting any instructions made just about every passenger angry. It's also not safe to not have a CSR at the gate with a delayed aircraft in the event of an emergency.Number 2. A CSR or someone should have come back down to the gate much quicker and instructed the passengers instead of leaving just the flight attendants on the aircraft being put into a potentially unsafe situation. There were two Federal Air Marshals on our flight they got off and I asked to please also get a CSR to the plane as soon as possible. Number 3. Under no circumstances should a captain be denied police assistance when he asks for it as it is a huge safety risk to his plane; crew and customers.It was an unsafe situation and very bad customer service.
A320 Captain and the Purser involved reported a return to the gate to inspect for hail damage at which point a passenger became irate and was removed from the flight.