Supposedly, trying to knock down the cockpit door mid-flight and going nude across the cabin were the reasons a Virgin Airways flight was subsequently forced to turn around and land shortly after take-off.
Flight VA696, which was its route from Perth to Melbourne on Monday, had to return to Perth Airport within an hour of takeoff due to mental instability issues of one of its passengers. The person had to be restrained and handcuffed by two air marshals until the plane touched down.
A delay of almost 90 minutes had already occurred during takeoff. The jet didn’t make it to Melbourne until six hours after some of the passengers boarded a different plane. Apparently, several travelers were stuck in Perth. The incident occurred on Monday, May 27.
According to a Virgin representative, the aircraft, which usually departs at 3:45 in the afternoon, had to turn around because of a “disruptive passenger” who was “offloaded” by the authorities.
The airline said it deeply apologizes to any affected visitors and assures them that the safety of personnel and guests is its first concern.
On Tuesday morning, a mining engineer who was 23 years old at the time was en route to Melbourne for his university graduation. The image of someone racing towards the cockpit first concerned him. The flight attendant was pushed over, and a lot of yelling and screaming ensued near the cockpit after that.
An eminent member of the business class quickly rose to his feet in an act of selflessness; two other men joined him later and tackled him to the floor. The individual was subdued and then led to the rear of the aircraft while restrained by handcuffs.
The passenger, who was deemed disruptive, was sent to a nearby hospital for evaluation and stayed there on Tuesday. The accusations against him have not been completed, but he is scheduled to make an appearance before the Perth magistrates court in June.
