Distressed flight attendant sign of industry issue
March 14, 2012, 10:13 am
Last week, a flight attendant on American Flight 2332 from Dallas to Chicago went on a rant over the intercom system, causing many passengers to feel uneasy about their upcoming flight.
The pilot was taxing the plane on the runway when the flight attendant addressed the entire plane over the public address system, claiming the plane was going to crash and it had to be stopped. In response to her claims, passengers onboard started to panic and several jumped up to tackle the screaming woman to subdue her. The flight attendant was eventually restrained, and a passenger called the police to stop the plane from taking off and remove the flight attendant from the plane, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported.
Stephen Tremunde, a passenger on the flight, told NBC News that other passengers and fellow flight attendants were struggling to keep the PA system out of the distressed flight attendant's hands until authorities could get to the plane.
"She snatched it back, became very aggressive," Tremunde told NBC. "At that point, the other flight attendants became physically engaged."
According to Tremunde, passengers and flight attendants worked together to grab the woman's arms, sit her in a chair and restrain her until she calmed down and could be taken away by law enforcement, NBC reported.
In response to the incident, Denny Kelly, aviation expert, said situations similar to what happened on flight 2332 could happen again, as flight attendants do not undergo psychological testing prior to hiring. Unless a flight attendant's psychological issue is obvious and poses a threat to passengers, airlines are likely unaware of any issues until something happens, CBS Dallas Fort Worth reported.
When the flight attendant on board the Chicago-bound plane was being restrained, she mentioned she was bipolar and had been off her medication. Kelly told the source flight attendants are expected to deal with very stressful situations in the air, suggesting psychological testing could help ensure the most prepared employees are placed on planes.
"Number one reason (flight attendants) are there is safety," Kelly told NBC. "The pilots have very stringent physical requirements, and the flight attendants really have none."
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