Regional Jet 700 ER/LR (CRJ700)
Flight Attendant Current
Workload; Physiological - Other; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Passenger Misconduct
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Police / Security Involved
Aircraft; Human Factors
During the flight the passenger was seated at the bulk head. I was serving the passengers in First Class and a passenger had his legs stretched all the way out into the aisle just to the left of the bulk head. I attempted as best I could to step around his feet while I was doing the service because he was sleeping and I did not want to disturb him. He then crosses his right leg over his left knee and then had his foot completely out in the middle of the aisle so that I was unable to get to galley. I then stated 'Sir can I ask you to please move your foot so that I am able to pass by.' The passenger then forcefully grabbed my arm and yanked me down so that my face was directly in front of his and stated 'tell your engineer to build a plane with leg room.' I then turned around and walked into the galley and I did not respond to the passenger at all. He seemed to be extremely tired and was acting in an aggressive manner and refused to move his feet out of the aisle. I then called the Captain to let him know what happened. I then walked to the back of the cabin to tell the number 2 Flight Attendant to be careful when she brought the cart back to the galley because this passenger refused to move his feet and I did not want her to bump him with the cart to upset him further. As she passed next to him to bring the cart into the galley she woke him up and asked him to move his feet because she could not get by. He still did not move his feet and when she attempted to move the cart past his feet she bumped into his foot and a wine bottle fell off the cart and landed on the floor. The number 2 Flight Attendant was standing in front of me and the passenger picked up the wine bottle and threw it at her. She was very startled and asked him what he was doing. When he threw the bottle she backed into the cart and it fell over and hit the service door causing damage to the door. There was a metal piece that was bent and scraped. The Captain then called and asked if we were ok because he heard the cart fall over. I told him what happened and he arranged for the police to meet the flight. After I spoke to the Captain; I spoke to [a] passenger [who witnessed incident] and she stated she witnessed him throwing the bottle. During the conversation with the [witnessing] passenger; I also asked her to look at where his feet were and stated that they were still there even after both Flight Attendants requested him to move them. I asked her if she would be willing to make a statement if necessary and she agreed. [Another witnessing] passenger gave a statement to the police informing them what he knew. After the disruptive passenger deplaned and was speaking with the police; I asked [another] witness seated [in first class] if she saw the disruptive passenger grab my arm. She stated she did see him do it and that he was 'belligerent and he made me feel very uncomfortable'. I asked her if she would be willing to make a statement if necessary and she agreed. I informed the police of the witnesses but they only spoke to the passenger who was [seated farther back] and he gave them a written statement. The passengers in [first class] actually were the passengers that saw everything however to my knowledge they did not speak with the police. Later that night a FBI agent called and took statements from both myself and the number 2 Flight Attendant. The disruptive passenger never took his feet out of the aisle for the entire flight even though both myself and the number 2 requested him to do so. He finally moved his feet when the landing gear came down for landing.I have been flying for approximately 12 years and I have never experienced anyone that acted in this manner only because he was asked to move his legs out of the aisle.
A CRJ-700 passenger with long legs refused to remove them from the aisle for flight attendant passage and after the service cart bumped his feet in passing where he then threw a wine bottle at her. Witnesses corroborated her story and police met the passenger at gate arrival.