[Sportschosun Reporter Jang Jong-ho] A United Airlines passenger jet flying from Shanghai, China, to San Francisco, United States, made an emergency landing in Tokyo, Japan, after a disruptive passenger caused chaos onboard.
According to foreign media outlets including the New York Post, United Airlines flight UA858 departed Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 12:43 p.m. on the 24th and was headed to San Francisco. There were 285 passengers and 16 crew members on board.
About two hours into the flight, the situation worsened when a female passenger began behaving erratically inside the cabin.
Witnesses said she pulled various papers from the seat pocket, scattered them into the air, and repeatedly shouted profanity. She also reportedly hit herself and shouted at the crew in a confrontation.
One passenger said, "She claimed the flight attendants were trying to suppress her," adding that "she was screaming periodically and appeared emotionally unstable." Another witness said a flight attendant approached to calm the situation, but physical contact occurred.
According to testimony, when a flight attendant lightly tapped her shoulder to get her attention, the passenger reacted in surprise and swung her elbow.
The disturbance continued during meal service. The passenger reportedly threw food packaging on the floor and kept shouting loudly.
In the end, the captain decided to divert the aircraft to Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, out of concern for the plane's safety.
Flight-tracking data showed that the plane made an emergency landing at Narita International Airport at around 4:37 p.m. that day.
Shortly after landing, several Japanese police officers boarded the plane and escorted the passenger off the aircraft.
However, some passengers had mixed reactions to what happened.
One passenger said, "It felt like a combination of misunderstanding, overreaction, and poor handling by both sides."
The aircraft took off again in the evening, about 1 hour and 40 minutes behind schedule, and continued on to San Francisco. It was later reported to have arrived late.
The passenger's identity, exact medical condition, and the results of the police investigation have not been disclosed.
Jang Jong-ho bellho@sportschosun.com
