(Daily Point) — An ANA plane bound for the US had to return to Tokyo after an intoxicated passenger, believed to be a 55-year-old American man, bit a cabin attendant mid-flight, as reported by the Japanese carrier on Wednesday.
The incident occurred when the heavily drunk passenger sank his teeth into the crew member’s arm, causing mild injuries, according to an All Nippon Airways spokesman. The pilots decided to turn the plane, carrying 159 passengers, back over the Pacific to Haneda airport. Upon arrival, the unruly passenger was handed over to the police.
The passenger, as quoted by Japanese broadcaster TBS, claimed to have no recollection of his behavior. The incident sparked reactions on social media, with some users mockingly likening it to the “beginning of a zombie movie.”
This incident adds to a series of aviation troubles in Japan this year, with four other incidents making headlines in just over two weeks. The most severe incident involved a near-catastrophic collision at Haneda on January 2 between a Japan Airlines aircraft and a smaller coast guard plane. Fortunately, all 379 people on board the JAL Airbus escaped before the aircraft was engulfed in flames. Unfortunately, five of the six people on the smaller aircraft, engaged in a relief operation after a major earthquake in central Japan, lost their lives.
