US-Bound Plane Returns to Tokyo After Drunken Passenger Bites Crew

Summary

A plane bound for the United States was forced to make an unexpected return to Tokyo when a heavily intoxicated passenger bit a cabin crew member. This incident, which was revealed by a representative from All Nippon Airways, is another occurrence in the series of unfortunate events befalling Japanese aviation recently.

The Incident

The allegedly American passenger, a 55-year-old man, was reported to have been extremely drunk and bit a crew member. The crew member suffered only minor injuries. In light of this incident, the pilots felt it necessary to divert the flight, with its 159 passengers, back to Haneda airport over the Pacific Ocean. The disruptive man was then handed over to the Japanese police. This information has been confirmed by a representative from All Nippon Airways.

Passenger’s Statement

The passenger, whose identity has not been disclosed, reportedly told the authorities that he “does not recall at all” his outrageous behaviour. This behaviour of his led some social media users to humorously liken the incident to “a zombie movie.”

Japenese Aviation’s Dismal Start

This incident adds to the growing list of aviation troubles for Japan this year. In the past two weeks alone, there have been four other newsworthy incidents. The most severe of the lot was a near-collision that occurred at Haneda between an aircraft from Japan Airlines and a smaller coast guard plane on January 2.

Previous Incidents

All 379 people on board the Japan Airlines Airbus were able to disembark just before the aircraft was submerged in flames. Tragically, five out of six people onboard the smaller aircraft lost their lives. This smaller plane was assisting in relief operations in the aftermath of a considerable earthquake in Central Japan.

In another event, a Korean Air airliner bumped its wingtip into an empty Cathay Pacific plane while taxiing at an airport in Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan. According to Korean Air, this accident which caused no injuries was due to “the third-party ground handler vehicle slipping as a result of heavy snow.”

A similar incident took place at a Chicago airport when an All Nippon Airways aircraft came into “contact” with a plane from Delta Air Lines, causing no injuries.

A Warning From Aviation Experts

According to Doug Drury, an aviation expert at Central Queensland University, “wing strike” incidents “do happen”. He attributes these frequent mishaps to many airports handling bigger planes than they were initially designed for. Additionally, he speculates that the cracked window incident may have been due to a malfunction in the window heating system as temperatures at altitude can be quite extreme.

“This is not uncommon and has happened to me during my career,” he reportedly added to this series of incidents afflicting the aviation industry in Japan.