China-bound flight returns to Seattle after passenger assaults crew member

The unruly male passenger was taken into custody by local law enforcement, says airport spokesperson

SEATTLE: A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Beijing returned to Seattle on Thursday after a passenger in the first-class cabin assaulted a crew member before being subdued by other travelers, a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport spokesperson said.

Two people were sent for medical treatment for non-life-threatening injuries after the plane landed safely shortly after 7 pm, airport spokesperson Perry Cooper said. The unruly male passenger was taken into custody by local law enforcement assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cooper added.

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Delta flight 129 departed Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at around 5:30 pm, but headed back to Seattle roughly 45 minutes into the flight, Cooper said. According to him, the man assaulted a flight attendant in the first class cabin, but he had no further details on what triggered the incident. He said it was not a national security matter.

Numerous passengers intervened to help subdue the suspect. The pilot decided to turn back and call for law enforcement and medics to meet the plane, Cooper said. Lorie Dankers, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, said there was no security breach at the airport, south of Seattle.



A representative for Delta Air Lines did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Federal Aviation Administration declined to comment.