Fight aboard flight to Philly leads to delayed takeoff and a passenger facing charges

A tense altercation onboard an American Airlines flight from Tampa to Philadelphia Tuesday afternoon led to a delayed takeoff and one passenger facing charges.

Videos of the incident, widely-circulated on social media, show a portion of the encounter before takeoff, in which a man onboard Flight 2506 in Tampa is seen using profanity and directing an antisemitic slur toward a flight attendant.

In multiple clips posted online, the man can be seen arguing with staff on the airplane, and calling a flight attendant a slur. He then says that he is trying to get to his “home country,” and that others on the flight are making it more difficult. As the situation escalates, another passenger who can later be heard saying he is a police officer approaches the man in the aisle of the plane, as a flight attendant appears to radio for help.

The two men begin shoving one another, and within seconds, the passenger claiming to be a police officer puts the man in a headlock, and tells him to “put your hands down and don’t touch anybody.” The passenger then forcefully escorts the man off the plane with the help of another person, as others are heard clapping.

American Airlines confirmed the incident Thursday, telling The Inquirer that law enforcement had been requested to the aircraft “due to a disturbance in the cabin involving a disruptive customer.” The Federal Aviation Administration said that the incident involved two passengers getting into a physical altercation during boarding.

“We thank our team for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience,” American Airlines said. The company did not provide further details.

Because of the disturbance, the flight departed about a half-hour late for Philadelphia International Airport. The FAA said it will investigate the incident.

A representative for the Tampa International Airport Police Department said that officers arrested a man in connection with the incident just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The man, police said, was arrested outside the plane, and was charged in Florida with disorderly intoxication and two counts of battery.