A man on a JetBlue flight from Boston to Las Vegas, which had to return to Logan International Airport Monday night because of a “disruptive” passenger, said he believes the flight attendant overreacted to a mid-air situation.
The witness, who asked to remain anonymous when speaking with NBC Boston, said he was seated diagonally from the 37-year-old Kentucky man, who Boston police said was non-compliant and verbally abusive on Flight 777.
"He was sober and never stood up once while we were in the plane, never raised his voice, never swore, nothing," he told the news outlet.
According to the witness, the situation escalated after the man asked a flight attendant if he could move to one of the many empty seats.
The attendant reportedly said he needed to check with another crew member, prompting one flight attendant to storm down the aisle and question if there was a problem.
“The passenger said to him, ‘Well, I'm going to file a complaint against you with JetBlue. I have all this recorded because you were going to file a false report against me,’” the witness said.
The flight attendant then ordered the plane to turn around near Rochester, New York, he said. Providing a photo of troopers escorting the Kentucky man off the plane in Boston, the witness said he feels the whole incident could’ve been avoided.
“Look how much money they probably spent to turn that aircraft around,” he told NBC Boston. “Ruin this guy's day. Ruin our night…”
The witness also said two other people, a couple who were trying to defend the “disruptive” man, were also escorted off in Boston.
Police have not shared any further details about the incident. NBC Boston reports that the man was facing a charge of interfering with a flight crew, however.
JetBlue said the flight resumed to Las Vegas after the disruptive passengers were removed. NBC Boston reports that the flight finally landed in Vegas about four hours later than expected at 2:30 a.m.
"Safety is JetBlue's first priority, and we appreciate everyone’s patience while we addressed this situation," JetBlue told the outlet in a statement.
The Independent has contacted JetBlue and the Massachusetts State Police for comment.
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