A United Airlines flight headed to San Francisco made an unexpected stop in Japan after an allegedly disruptive passenger created a disturbance in the cabin, prompting police to board the aircraft and leaving travelers facing lengthy delays.
According to passengers, the ordeal began not long after departure, when the woman’s behavior reportedly became increasingly erratic during the flight.
United Flight UA858 departed Shanghai Pudong Airport at 12:43 p.m. Wednesday on a Boeing 777-300, carrying 285 passengers and 16 crew members.
Roughly two hours into the trans-Pacific journey, the crew diverted the aircraft to Tokyo’s Narita Airport, where it landed at 4:37 p.m. local time, flight tracking data showed.
After the plane arrived in Japan, at least seven officers with the Chiba Prefectural Police came aboard and removed the Chinese-speaking passenger believed to be involved in the incident.
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“She tossed all the documents in her seat pockets in the air, shouted cuss words periodically, and also periodically started hitting herself,” one witness said.
That witness also described tense exchanges with flight attendants, alleging that the passenger accused crew members of trying to “oppress” her.
During one interaction, a purser attempted to intervene but was reportedly met with physical resistance.
“The crew captain [purser] tapped several times on her shoulder for her attention. In a startle reflex without even seeing who it was, she elbowed back,” the witness said.
Disruption continued during meal service, with passengers saying she threw food packaging onto the floor and repeatedly shouted in the cabin.
Air marshals reportedly issued warnings before the captain made the decision to divert the aircraft for safety reasons
After landing in Tokyo, police escorted the passenger off the aircraft.
Several travelers said there was confusion onboard about the removal.
“Personally, I felt it was a mix of misunderstanding, overreaction, and mismanagement from both sides,” one passenger said.
Following the unscheduled stop, passengers reported that a maintenance issue was discovered, delaying the onward journey.
The flight eventually resumed at around 6:15 p.m. and continued on to San Francisco, arriving around an hour and 40 minutes later than scheduled after the delay.
