Delta Flight Forced to Land in Oklahoma by Off-Duty Flight Attendant

The season of disruptive passengers continues, as now off-duty flight attendants are acting up aboard flights. The latest issue happened aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 1730 on Friday, June 11, 2021, after the off-hours worker tried to make an announcement on the intercom and reportedly “take the plane down.”

It is possible that poorly behaved passengers are turning into an epidemic for airlines in of themselves. In the latest incident, an off-duty flight attendant is accused of creating an issue aboard a Delta Air Lines flight, after attempting to take the intercom and allegedly threatening to “take the plane down.” CNN reports the employee created the issue while the flight was over Oklahoma.

Pilot Reportedly Asked “All Able-Bodied Men Please Come to the Front” for Emergency

Delta Flight 1730 departed Friday, June 11, 2021, from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). Seated on the flight was the Delta employee, identified by Oklahoma City Police as 34-year-old Stephon Duncan of Atlanta, who witnesses say was wearing a helmet, elbow pads and knee pads.

During the first part of the trip, Duncan allegedly asked a lot of questions of those sitting near them, including how to spell their names. One reportedly passed a note to a passing crewmember, accusing the erratically behaving person of possibly being a hijacker. According to the police report, Duncan was asked to “remain seated and stop disturbing passengers with odd and random statements,” but he ignored the request.

Incident report regarding a flight from Los Angeles to Atlanta diverted to OKC due to an in-flight incident on June 11, 2021. 34-year old Stephon Duncan of Atlanta, GA. was arrested & booked on a complaint of simple assault.@FBI is investigating. pic.twitter.com/zILHGcW2ob

— Oklahoma City Police (@OKCPD) June 14, 2021

Nearly halfway into the flight, the Duncan is accused of getting on the intercom and making an announcement to the cabin. The police report notes Duncan allegedly told passengers “To put on seat belts, the plane is being taken over and will be going under 10,000 feet.” A scuffle ensued with other crewmembers, and Duncan is accused of assaulting two flight attendants. One was reportedly struck with a forearm, followed by another allegedly getting choked by Duncan.

Witnesses aboard the aircraft say the captain then got on the intercom and asked for “all able-bodied men please come to the front of the plane for an emergency.” Although many got up, the flyer was subdued quickly, and no crew members were injured.

As a result of the disruption, the flight was diverted to Oklahoma City Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), where the Duncan was arrested by police. During the ground stop, the aircraft was checked for explosives and cleared to continue to Atlanta. Duncan was arrested for misdemeanor assault and battery and booked into Oklahoma County Jail. The FBI was notified and will conduct their own investigation. At press time, it is unclear if Duncan remains in Oklahoma County Jail.

Problems with Unruly Passengers Continue to Get Worse

In what is turning into the worst year on record for in-flight altercations, experts worry that flyer issues will continue to get worse before it gets better. According to a report from The Washington Post, the Federal Aviation Administration has received at least 2,500 reports of poorly behaved passengers in 2021 alone, with the majority of the incidents revolving around face mask requirements. Aviation experts and union leaders worry the number will grow significantly as the summer continues.