In yet another incident of airline mayhem, an American Airlines flight from Sao Paulo to New York descended into chaos when a first-class passenger “Karen” attempted to storm the cockpit due to being frustrated by a delay.
The incident took place last Thursday (April 24), inside Flight AA950 bound for JFK Airport and went viral after a recording surfaced today (April 29).
The footage showed crew members forcefully restraining the woman near the cockpit door as she tried to push her way inside just before takeoff.
“Get out! Get out!” an attendant can be heard yelling, as they struggled to keep the cockpit secure.
A Karen goes viral after attempting to storm the cockpit in a blind rage over her flight being delayed
“Do you know who you’re talking to!?” the woman said to the flight attendants. Outraged, netizens wasted no time in labeling the woman as a “Karen,” not only due to her being dressed in business attire and traveling in first class but also due to her “entitled” attitude.
As crew warnings fell on deaf ears, they had no choice but to restrain the woman, who fell on the floor during the altercation. However, some viewers believe the use of force was unnecessary.
Restrained, she was escorted back to her seat, but the situation escalated even further when another passenger jumped in and began yelling at the woman.
According to Brazilian outlet Newsflash, the woman’s outburst was triggered by a delay in departure. Ironically, her actions caused a further two-hour delay as the aircraft was forced to return to the boarding gate.
This extra time caused the indignation of her fellow passengers, which meant flight attendants had to control not only one angry passenger—but the entire flight.
“Flight AA950 returned to the boarding gate prior to departure due to a safety problem on board,” American Airlines said in a statement, confirming the delay.
“The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority, and we thank everyone for their understanding.”
Ironically, the outburst ended up causing a two-hour delay, motivating a second passenger to become violent
Both the disruptive “Karen” and the male passenger who confronted her were removed from the flight and handed over to local authorities. It remains unclear whether any charges have been filed.
Lucas Ramos, a Brazilian flight attendant, explained the seriousness of the situation from the crew’s perspective with a post on X.
“In training, we flight attendants learn that any suspicious or unruly passenger who attempts to enter the cockpit must be considered an extreme threat and treated as a criminal,” Ramos said. “We are authorized to use physical force to prevent access.”
He also touched upon the toll that high-stress situations like that take on crew members themselves.
“When your flight is delayed, remember that the crew is just as frustrated and anxious to leave as you are,” he continued.
“Not only because we want to get home quickly, but also because in most airlines, the crew only starts getting paid for their work hours when the aircraft is in motion and leaves the boarding gate. Until then, they are working ‘for free.’”
The incident comes amid a consistent increase in violent events aboard flights in recent years
“Airlines and governments remain concerned about the frequency and severity of unruly and disruptive passenger incidents onboard aircraft,” states a report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA.)
“These incidents include violence against crew and other passengers, harassment, verbal abuse, smoking, failure to follow safety and public health instructions, and other forms of riotous behavior.”
According to the paper, which takes into account 24,400 reports from over 50 operators globally, there has been a consistent increase in passenger incidents in the last few years, with at least one violent incident for every 480 flights in 2023.
For the IATA, it’s all a matter of enhancing deterrence, as the organization states that around 60% of all cases do not proceed in their prosecution due to jurisdictional gaps in the Tokyo Convention of 1963, which governs offenses and certain other acts committed on an aircraft.
A mulher se achou no direito de levantar e ir até a cabine do PILOTO perguntar porque o voo estava atrasado. GRU > JFK
Não pode faltar o combo bostileiro: você não sabe com quem tá falando.
Certeza que o funcionário AMERICANO da American Airlines ficou com medo. pic.twitter.com/eSi77R9eNF
— Rafael Gloves (@rafaelgloves) April 28, 2025
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there were more than 900 incidents registered as of July 2024, twice the rate at which they occurred compared to 2020 levels.
In 2023, the FAA levied $7.5 million in fines across more than 2,000 incidents, with 39 of those being labeled as “high risk,” meaning the FBI had to get involved.
“Stressful.” Netizens took to social media to share their thoughts on the incident
