Mass brawl at 30,000 ft: 12 passengers get in a 30-min smackdown on board a 747

alexmst

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'It was vicious. It was frightening. There were punches going off in all directions'
- passenger seated nearby the fight in central section of Virgin Atlantic 747.

Up to 12 British holiday-makers are being questioned by police in Barbados after a 'vicious' brawl broke out at 30,000ft on a flight to the Caribbean island.

The passengers, who are thought to have been drinking, had to be split up by fellow travellers and the Virgin flight's crew.

At least one man ended up with a black eye and a woman had her arm in a sling following the half-hour bout of violence on the flight from Gatwick.

On arrival in Barbados, police were awaiting to board the plane and question those involved.

The fight is thought to have broken out among a group travelling together in the central section of the jet who kinew each other. They were dressed up and witnesses said they seemed to be heading out for 'a special occasion'.

The Virgin Atlantic 747 had left London Gatwick enroute to Barbados - an 8 hour nonstop flight.

One passenger said problems began about halfway into the eight-hour flight, when one woman had an issue with another traveller.
Elsa Brandford, 70, said: 'It was unbelievable, it was like something out of a movie.
'A woman shouted ''You swore in front of my child''. She said it about six times, each time louder than the last one. She said ''And it's my birthday'' '
'I was looking at it and wondering if I was still watching my in-flight movie.
'I couldn't hear what the other person said but I heard more and more voices getting involved.

'There was about five minutes of shouting while people gathered around and before I knew it they were throwing punches and jumping on each other.

'Most of the people involved were sitting in that area and just standing on their seats while throwing punches. :hand:

'It was vicious. It was frightening. There were punches going off in all directions. I never expected to see something like that.

'But as it went on people came round to try to split them up and about half an hour later they had it under control.'

She said all passengers were ordered to remain in their seats for the rest of the flight, with bathroom breaks being allowed after two hours.

Police said their investigation was on going and they were still interviewing


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ght-Virgin-flight-Barbados.html#ixzz1OucdRrEU
 

blackram

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Never let hillbillies on a plane, no matter what nationality they are from. :)
 

alexmst

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Attack of the Lager Louts...

Why am I not surprized to read they 'are thought to have been drinking' before the incident...:rolleyes:
 

K Douglas

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British hooligans. No class!
 

Aardvark154

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The only positive thing for the idiots (an oxymoron I realize) is that the aircraft wasn't diverted to Canada or the U.S. - I suspect that Barbadian law on interfering with a flight crew is not quite at the same level as Canadian or U.S. law on the topic.
 

Tangwhich

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There is a good chance they will face jail time when they return to the UK. British law allows for prosecution for events like this, regardless of where the aircraft is or is going. They deserve it.
 

alexmst

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The only positive thing for the idiots (an oxymoron I realize) is that the aircraft wasn't diverted to Canada or the U.S. - I suspect that Barbadian law on interfering with a flight crew is not quite at the same level as Canadian or U.S. law on the topic.
Yes, better to be accused of that in Barbados. If the flight had diverted to Miami due to a passenger mutiny with violence those 12 would have been in a boatload of trouble. Fortunately for them the flight path of a London to Barbados flight has diversion airports like the Azores or Bermuda - but in this case the pilot (I guess) decided they were only fighting amongst themselves in a known group of people, so no diversion was required.

FAA downgrades safety rating for Barbados

from Flight Global, April 13, 2011.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has downgraded the safety rating of Barbados after determining the country fails to comply with ICAO safety standards.

FAA has assigned a category 2 rating to Barbados, which means carriers from that country cannot serve the US. Currently no airline from Barbados offer US flights, and the category 2 rating prohibits those carriers from establishing new US service.

The civil aviation authority of Barbados is currently conducting certification on an air carrier with the goal of serving the US, says FAA. Barbados-based upstart REDjet, modelled after Ryanair, previously expressed an interest in serving the US, but on 11 April stated it would launch 8 May serving Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad.

The downgrade results in Barbados lacking laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, says FAA, or that its civil aviation authority is deficient in technical expertise, trained personnel, record keeping or inspection procedures.

...You know, like Nigeria. (Oh, wait. Nigeria was upgraded to Category 1 in August 2010. Sorry about that, Nigeria! Ok, so Barbados in the same category as the Congo or Bangladesh.)
 

afterhours

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I remember a drunk guy being loud on a flight to Caribean. Then the stewardess politely told him that basically one more loud word and the air carrier is not going to honour his return ticket so that he would have to buy a one-way return with another company (and presumably at full price).

I have never seen people sobering up so fast.
 

GG2

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There is a good chance they will face jail time when they return to the UK. British law allows for prosecution for events like this, regardless of where the aircraft is or is going. They deserve it.
Anybody confirm this? I just don't see UK cops putting 12 men and women in jail for what appears to be a fight between 'friends'. Perhaps they should, but I think they'll get a fine and nothing more.
 

The Fruity Hare

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Anybody confirm this? I just don't see UK cops putting 12 men and women in jail for what appears to be a fight between 'friends'. Perhaps they should, but I think they'll get a fine and nothing more.
However, at 30, 000 feet, fighting for half an hour, there are some additional factors involved here.
 

alexmst

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Update

Derek Edmond, his daughter Zoe King and her husband Martin were on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Gatwick to Barbados when a Danish family sitting nearby accused them of being too noisy.

Police said Mrs King, 46, was celebrating her birthday and she and her family had been drinking for much of the eight-hour flight.

After the Danes complained, other passengers watched in horror as Mr King, 49, and his wife allegedly swapped punches with a family sitting in front of them as flight crew tried to pull them apart. The fight continued. The pilot radioed ahead for the flight to be met by police and the Kings and Mr Edmond were arrested when it landed at Grantley Adams Airport.

Passenger Elsa Brandford, 70, said: ‘It was unbelievable, it was like something out of a movie. ‘I heard more and more voices getting involved. There was about five minutes of shouting while people gathered around and before I knew it they were throwing punches and jumping on each other.
‘Most of the people were standing on their seats while throwing punches.

‘But as it went on people came round to try to split them up and about half an hour later they had it under control.’ More than a dozen officers met the plane carrying 280 passengers on Thursday afternoon and ten people, including crew, were taken for questioning.

Mrs King left the plane with her arm in a sling, while her husband had a black eye.

Inspector David Welch, of Barbados police, said: ‘There appeared to be a birthday celebration that got too noisy. A Danish national on the flight complained and the fracas started from there.’

The Kings and Mr Edmond appeared in court yesterday charged with disruptive behaviour on an aircraft. They face two years in prison or a fine if convicted.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...awl-Virgin-flight-Barbados.html#ixzz1Ovf9Un61
 

Tangwhich

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Anybody confirm this? I just don't see UK cops putting 12 men and women in jail for what appears to be a fight between 'friends'. Perhaps they should, but I think they'll get a fine and nothing more.
This is all I could find with a quick search:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/406794.stm

I thought it was a newer law to be honest, perhaps there's an update? The reason I know about it is because I've watched some of those UK Customs type TV shows. They showed a few people getting arrested, even people arriving home who were disruptive on the out going flight.
 

Berlin

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'A woman shouted ''You swore in front of my child''. She said it about six times, each time louder than the last one. She said ''And it's my birthday''
... yeah, that's the part that got me as well.

Feel sorry for the innocent folks on that flight.
 

alexmst

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