Passenger punches flight attendant, forces plane to divert
A passenger on American Airlines Flight 1497 punched a flight attendant, leading to the plane's diversion to Amarillo, Texas. The passenger claimed to not remember the incident, but admitted to drinking alcohol before the flight.
Passenger Assaults Flight Attendant
An American Airlines flight from Dallas to Bozeman was forced to divert to Amarillo due to a passenger who punched a flight attendant. The incident occurred when the flight attendant confronted the passenger for violently kicking another passenger's seat. The passenger yelled expletives and proceeded to punch the flight attendant multiple times.
Upon landing, the passenger, Keith Edward Fagiana, was taken into FBI custody. Other passengers confirmed the flight attendant's account of the incident. Dazia Poland, one of the passengers, even recorded a video of Fagiana being escorted off the plane in handcuffs.
Fagiana claimed to have no memory of the events on the plane. However, he admitted to drinking Captain Morgan rum at various bars in Las Vegas prior to the flight.
Legal Proceedings and Additional Violence
Fagiana is facing charges of interference with a flight crew. His initial appearance in federal court was rescheduled after a continuance was filed. Meanwhile, Fagiana expressed discomfort with the flex cuffs he was initially placed in and requested them to be replaced with steel handcuffs.
During the process of switching the restraints, Fagiana reportedly kicked a police officer and spit on other officers. He argued that he fought back because he didn't want to be arrested.
The FBI is currently investigating the incident and the airline is cooperating with authorities to ensure the safety of their passengers and crew.
