Fight Aboard Russian Airliner Forces Emergency Landing
aero-news.net
One Drunk Begets Three Drunks
A flight from St. Petersburg, Russia to Turkey was forced to make an unscheduled landing Thursday when a physical altercation broke out shortly after takeoff from Pulkovo Airport.
The brawl reportedly started after a drunken man slapped a female passenger who rebuffed his attentions, Pulkovo Airlines spokeswoman Marina Peshekhonova said. A man with the woman then tried to protect her.
Then -- apparently believing one inebriated contender in the fight wasn't enough -- two other men... who were reportedly just as drunk... began acting up and upsetting other passengers.
The cabin crew was unable to stem the drunken tide, so they returned to Pulkovo Airport where all three men were promptly arrested.
"The situation could have led to a massive fight on board, and there could be danger to the safety of the passengers and the crew. Therefore the captain took the decision to fly back to St. Petersburg," Peshekhonova said.
The three men could face legal charges from the airline that could amount to several thousand dollars.
