An American Airlines flight from Tokyo Narita to Dallas Fort Worth was placed into “Level Three Lockdown” and diverted to Seattle Tacoma Airport after a passenger assaulted a flight attendant and banged on the flight deck door because the phone charger at her seat stopped working court documents allege.
American Airlines flight AA60 departed Tokyo on Wednesday with just 60 passengers onboard including Waka Suzuki, a Japanese citizen who was connecting through Dallas with her mother en route to Cancun, Mexico where the pair planned to vacation for 10-days.
According to court documents, Suzuki was initially calm when she boarded the flight and kept herself busy by watching a movie on her mobile phone. But around 3 – 4 hours into the 11 hour flight, and as the plane was flying over the Pacfic, Suzuki requested assistance from flight attendants because the phone charger at her seat didn’t appear to be working.
A flight attendant attempted to help Suzuki but apparently couldn’t resolve the issue leading to Suzuki shouting at the flight attendants becoming “increasingly hostile and belligerent” towards crew members.
Suzuki demanded flight attendants bring her items to resolve the issue and when they didn’t, Suzuki stands accused of running down the aircraft aisle from her seat in Economy towards the flight deck.
Another flight attendant attempted to stop her but Suzuki allegedly pushed past her, stomped on her foot and continued going until she got to the flight deck and started banging on the door demanding help to resolve the phone charging issue.
The Captain put the aircraft into Level Three Lockdown and informed the FAA of a threat to the aircraft while Suzuki was restrained with plastic flexicuffs. The flight was diverted to Seattle where Suzuki refused to deplane for 25 minutes.
According to an affidavit, Suzuki told Customs and Border Protection officers at Seattle airport that the flight attendants were “rude and dismissive” towards her. She admitted knocking on the flight deck door because she wanted assistance with her phone charging issue.
Suzuki also admitted that she punched and elbowed one of the flight attendants but claims the crew spat on her and pushed her to the floor. She apparently didn’t have any alcohol onboard and told officers that she doesn’t take any prescription medication.
Suzuki is accused of knowingly and intentionally interfering with flight crew members. The FBI is investigating.
Photo Credit: Pat Stornebrink / Shutterstock.com
Wow!
She is addicted to electronic media. She was suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I have seen it before. She needs go to rehab and learn to read a book or magazine.
LOL
Put her in a cell with a functioning electrical outlet and give her a new phone charger. Then smash her phone in front of her and lock the door…
How about I lock you up in a wetroom with an outlet and give you a toaster?
Next Article: “American Airlines Flight Diverted After Wifi Password Stops Working” 🙂
Karenzuki had better be wealthy. I see a 50k fine coming.
And having her name added to the no-fly-list!
Good Grief! With 60 people on board could the crew not have relocated the woman to a seat where the charger worked? Typical airline over reaction. “We must inconvenience everyone on the plane to enforce our will on this passenger. Seig Heil “
Without knowing all of the details, I agree.
A nazi reference. Really?
Perhaps she refused a relocation.
Perhaps she has an underlying behavioral condition.
Perhaps she is just as unpleasant a person as you appear to be.
Take a bus if you can’t follow some simple rules at 40,000 feet.
The last trans-Pacific bus route has been diverted to Seattle.
There’s always at least one reply in this personal blog that blames the crew, even though the passenger assaulted the flight attendants, attempted to breach the cockpit, and refused to leave the airplane for 25 minutes after she had committed a couple of federal offenses. Had you been a passenger on this flight, would you have tried to help the crew, or would you have just given your Nazi salute? Thanks for supporting safe airline travel, sir.
It’s Sieg Heil, not Seig Heil. You are obviously unfamiliar with the proper terminology currently in use. Pity.
The article said the crew tried to accommodate her but she refused. How do you know they didn’t offer her that? This person is obviously selfish and down right horrible.
If there was a seat available with a charger that worked, she should have been moved there. It would not have escalated. If no seat with charger available and she continued to freak out they should havw locked her up in a restraint and the flight should not have been diverted. She deserves prison and fine!
I agree. Flight diversions are an unnecessary step thay will only cause mass issues with canceled and or rescheduling of flights for other passengers. Is the situation in this case so out of control that a flight diversion is necessary? Had I missed a connecting flight overseas after this issue, there would be another problem once we landed. Some of this is just over the top. Minimize the problems for EVERYONE. Not just the flight attendants.
I disagree. People need to know that there are serious consequences for misbehaving at 40,000 feet. This is the reason why so many Americans died from Covid19. It’s not about your rights, not to wear one, it’s about you getting everyone around you sick and possibly dying by you not wearing one. And, you don’t have that right whatsoever. Personally, I think Americans are getting out of control. Look at the recent insurrection.
It’s Sieg Heil, not Seig Heil. You are obviously unfamiliar with the proper terminology currently in use. Pity.
I flew American Economy dfw/narita tokyo 2016. My seat Headphone jack for the inflight entertainment was plugged with piece of tooth pick. Flight attendant told me enjoy the flight and I was not permitted to sit somewhere else. International on our domestic carriers suks
Ty! Glad someone pointed out the obvious issue here!
Wow so you don’t blame that stupid ignorant fucked up mental ass passenger? She is the DAMN fool that over reacted over a damn phone charger! Yes they did the right thing she should have been inconvenienced, why should she be allowed to reach her destinations with her stupid ass outbursts, someone should have beat the shit out of her! Sorry the other passengers had to suffer! We all know the rules when flying!
Are you serious Clark?
If it was me I would move to other sit with working power outlet.
Or place my phone to charge somewhere else. That missmanaging a conflict or escalating it. She brought bees on herself…
Not big deal…
Do people not realize when it comes to airplanes they don’t mess around? No alcohol no meds…. Flight attendant spit at her…..why isn’t this on Twitter with footage? Maybe everyone’s charging port stopped working and nobody had working electronics. Probably best they grabbed a new plane and let her off so she could get a drink.
Typical American flight attendants they always escalate small problems and try as hard as possible to provoke passengers, it’s not always easy for foreigners who are used to polite and friendly attendants to deal with these situations
My friend Mohammed, I wish people would understand that saying “American flight attendants are all alike” -is just as silly as “All people with blond hair “-“All people from France”- or even “All people of a certain race” are alike. All people are individuals and different.
Shall we make generalizations about passengers named Mohammed since you’re doing the same about American flight attendants? Sit down, Mo. you won’t win this one.
No what it is is in America flight attendants are safety professionals first that don’t kiss your ass because we don’t have to like on foreign carriers that allow the cabin crew to be disrespected and harassed. FAs on Asian routes are HIGHLY trained in service and standards. There are laws, unions and rules on all American carriers and if you’re a foreigner and can’t deal with that fly foreign carriers where you can get away with your bad behavior.
Threatening or touching a flight crew should be put in jail. Enough of the disrespect that is going on In this country.
Anyone who has flown with American Airlines knows how the service is. Does the USB socket on your seat not work? That’s your problem.
If the crew had provided a portable USB charger, it would solve the problem.
This is sarcasm right?
Flight attendants need to know there job is to serve people and make their flight pleasant they are NOT there for people’s safety!
You are an idiot.
With all due respect.
I agree. lol.
Whether you accept it or not FAs are there primarily for your safety and security. Do you know how to evacuate 100+ passengers in 90mins during an emergency landing? NO. Do you know how to fight fire onboard an aircraft? NO. Do you know how to operate the doors and exits of an aircraft in case of emergency? NO. Do you know how to deliver a baby at 35,000ft with no medical personnel onboard? NO. I can go on but so you know that comfort is only a secondary duty of any FA. Thank you
You are so dumb! Please, don’t fly, instead buy yourself a camel.
Wrong. Just wrong! They are there for safety first. While they do serve, it is not their primary function. That said, like any other profession, there are going to be those flight attendants that have poor people skills.
Wrong.
All airlines must collect paper from psychiatrist before board. Too many crazy cases happened lately.
My friend Mohammed, I wish people would understand that saying “American flight attendants are all alike” -is just as silly as “All people with blond hair “-“All people from France”- or even “All people of a certain race” are alike. All people are individuals and different.
It was an American Airlines international flight, which probably means it was a 70-year-old flight attendant making $150,000 a year and she was furious and insulted that a passenger asked for assistance with a problem. They made sure that she learned her lesson.
@Mohammed, @Jack WTF with the blaming the crew? First of all, FAs are highly trained safety professionals. Over a fifteen year period I flew about 2000 flights on AA so it’s not like I didn’t run into my share of indifferent FAs but in the event of an emergency evac I’m sure every one of them would have been professional in managing an evacuation.
This is why you should only fly domestic. Ha!
Asians are fucking psychotic
There is no excuse for this behavior on a plane. None.
Everyone who came on here with any comment excusing this away should understand they have a problem as well.
Don’t like the rules or service, too bad, complain afterwards and leave the other passengers alone.
She should be placed into prison immediately upon landing as the FAA decides the monetary damages she will face from her little departure to Lala Land.
Seems unusual behavior for a Japanese national.
This Japanese woman should get slapped with every possible charge. Even if the flight attendants were rude and too dimwitted to move her to one of the 120 or more empty seats, there is no excuse for her childish and criminal outburst. It’s a trans-pacific flight. Bring your own stinking battery pack. Even if you forgot it, read, sleep, sit there quietly and daydream for a few hours. Geesh.
I dated an AA flight attendant that also trains new recruits in Dallas. One of her big complaints was that people think her main job is serve people drinks and food. Yes, they do that, but their primary responsibily is the safety of all passengers and crew. They not only have to enforce company policies, but more importantly, FAA rules.
She also stated that yes, there are plenty of flight attendants she hasn’t liked working with. Like any other jobs, there are good ones and bad ones. There are also good passengers and dumb ones.
I think she should be locked up in a padded room, obviously she is crazy, for three days, without a cell phone or charger, and see if she learns anything about her improper behavior.
Passengers endangering live of others needs to go to jail..
Exactly!
Your headline is sensationalist and it sucks. If you really wanted clickbait, mentioning the pax assaulting the flight crew would have worked a lot better. Instead now your article leads your readers to believe that an entire international flight was diverted because one (1) electrical outlet stopped working. Do better.
Right….. this is news on every website – AOL, Yahoo, USAToday, etc. yet we know nothing of what happened to this crazy passenger. I guess we are to assume she just went on her merry way and is enjoying her holiday in Cancun.
…”FBI is investigating the matter”…….
SO WHAT HAPPENED ???…… she just went on her merry way to holiday in Cancun ?? No arrest ?, no cancellation of her return ticket ?? At least that would have forced her to buy a very expensive one-way ticket from Mexico back to Japan.
If you’re going to write a story, don’t leave people hanging in mid-air (no pun intended). Annoying.
I think they misspelled her name. It’s not Waka Suzuki, it’s Whacko Suzuki!