An American passenger aboard a Japanese flight bit a flight attendant, forcing the U.S.-bound plane to return to Tokyo mid-flight.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) Flight 118 departed Tokyo’s Haneda Airport just before 10 p.m. local time Tuesday as it headed to Seattle, an airline spokesperson said. The plane was forced to turn around over an hour into its journey.
The passenger, reportedly a 55-year-old American man, was “heavily drunk” when he bit the female ANA crew member, the airline told news agency Agence France-Presse. The flight attendant suffered minor injuries.
Japanese media reports the man was arrested by police when the plane returned to Tokyo. The passenger, who was not named, told police he had taken a sleeping pill and could not recall what happened.
In a statement provided to various news outlets, ANA said the plane turned around because the passenger had been “acting in an unsafe manner to the flight crew and passengers.”
“The safety and security of our passengers and employees are our top priority, and we will take all necessary actions to ensure it,” the airline said.
