FAA investigating mid-air fight aboard Kauai-bound Southwest flight
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The passengers involved in a fight on a Southwest Flight to Kauai on Monday could face fines of up to $37,000.
As the FAA investigates, video of the altercation is spurring debate online.
Passengers aboard a Southwest Airlines plane bound for Kauai witnessed a mid-air fist fight on Monday.
Southwest officials said two customers became disruptive onboard Flight 1288 from Oakland to Lihue.
The Federal Department of Transportation posted about the incident on X, formally known as Twitter, saying:
“Our department has zero tolerance for violent or unruly behavior aboard an aircraft. If you act out on an airplane, you can face criminal prosecution and fines up to $37,000″
Witnesses told Hawaii News Now the fight happened about an hour after departing from Oakland.
An Instagram video shows passengers and crew attempting to calm the two men by physically getting between them.
According to a witness, both men were detained after the flight landed, but it’s unclear how the altercation began.
“I heard yelling, screaming and punches. I turned around and saw one man bleeding and then the other man being separated,” Southwest Passenger Jim Wieder said.
“Frankly, I was a little nervous because we’re 35,000 feet and you’ve got two guys swinging at each other, which makes no sense whatsoever.”
One passenger said he was surprised that Southwest didn’t turn the plane around and instead continued to fly to Kauai.
It’s unclear if charges have been pressed against either man.
Southwest officials said in a statement, “We commend our Crew and Customers for their professionalism in diffusing this situation.”
“The flight landed safely at its scheduled destination, and local authorities met the flight upon arrival.”
Some Hawaii based flight attendants tell us they’re surprised it happened on a route to Kauai.
“I’ve been flying 45 years and no it was not like this,” said one flight attendant. “Probably the worst thing that happened a couple years ago was a passenger taking a couple peanuts.”
This story may be updated.
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