A Medical Emergency and “Very Scary” Tantrum on One Diverted Spirit Airlines Flight

An eventful Spirit Airlines flight left crew members and flyers in tears after a medical emergency diverted the plane and caused another passenger to launch into threatening and profanity-laden hysterics.

A Spirit Airlines flight from Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) on Monday ended up being anything but routine. Two separate incidents sent one passenger to the hospital and saw another flyer escorted from the plane by police. The onboard dramatics left air travelers and crew members alike breaking down in sobs.

The flight was reportedly forced to divert to Rochester International Airport (RST), located less than 100 miles from MSP, after a passenger became unresponsive during the journey. The unconscious flyer was rushed to a local hospital, but while the flight was on the ground, a fellow passenger began pacing the aisle of the cabin while loudly screaming profanities and threatening other travelers. The woman was eventually removed from the plane by police before being released.

Cell phone footage of the panicked woman’s tirade was posted on Facebook by passenger Chianti Washington. The short video appears to show the unidentified woman demanding to be let off the plane. The panicked flyer is at times enraged and can be heard swearing and threatening fellow passengers. At other moments, she can be seen apparently sobbing and pleading with cabin crew members who are also reduced to tears.

“She was yelling at the two gentlemen that were trying to block her – it was very scary,” Washington later told ABC News. “She would just not stop, and as police escorted her off the aircraft continued to remain belligerent. All I could think about was the children on the aircraft. I said a prayer. You just didn’t know what she was going to do. We were very much scared and shaken by her behavior.”

According to Houston CBS-affiliate KHOU, the rampaging passenger told witnesses that she is a military veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a fear of flying. Police say the erratically behaving woman was not charged as a result of the incident.

“Yesterday morning a flight from Houston to Minneapolis had to land in Rochester, Minnesota due to a Guest experiencing a medical emergency,” Spirit Airlines spokesperson Stephen Schuler told the news station in a statement. “On the ground in Rochester, another passenger became erratic and irate and was removed from the aircraft with the assistance of law enforcement. We apologize to our Guests who had to witness this and for the inconvenience of the delay. Safety is our top priority at Spirit Airlines.”

[Photo: Shutterstock]