Passenger gets into brawl with family onboard airplane

Passengers aboard a JetBlue operated plane en route to Fort Lauderdale Florida) engaged in a particularly violent fight this past weekend. The dramatic air rage incident forced the pilot to divert the flight, which was carrying 88 passengers. The incident involved two brothers and their cousin, all of whom were seated near the back of the aircraft, according to a CNN news reports. One of the brothers, Andrew Mark Thompson, proceeded to the lavatory, where he smoked at least one cigarette. Once he returned, his brother could smell the smoke and criticized him for breaking federal regulations by lighting up. A flight attendant also informed him that smoking was illegal and then refused to sell Thompson an alcoholic beverage.

Upon learning that he would not be able to buy a drink, Thompson asked his brother to purchase one for him, but he refused. Thompson allegedly began screaming and cursing, after which he punched his brother in the eye, leaving him injured and bloodied. A complaint filed after the air rage incident also noted that the fighting continued for nearly 20 minutes.

The pilot ultimately decided to divert the flight, landing in North Carolina. Upon arrival, Thompson was immediately arrested and taken into custody by police, while other passengers on the plane spoke with FBI officials investigating the matter. Thompson was charged with assault and intimidation earlier today. As in the case of most air rage incidents, alcohol was a factor in sparking the violence in this situation as well. Thompson’s brother confirmed that he had been drinking prior to the flight.

Thank you to CNN for the initial report.

www.jetblue.com