A high-altitude brawl on a Delta airlines flight from Seattle to Beijing ended with an aggressive and erratic passenger being clocked over the head with two wine bottles and restrained in zip-ties by fellow passengers.
The wild incident is detailed in a criminal complaint against Joseph Hudek IV, who allegedly tried to open an emergency exit door at altitude, resulting in an all-out melee that trashed the plane’s galley and forced the flight to turn back.
Criminal complaint against Joseph Hudek IV on #DL129. It was an absolute melee in the forward cabin. Worst buddy pass flyer ever? pic.twitter.com/oPXUGl5pPs
— Jon Ostrower (@jonostrower) July 7, 2017
According to the report, Hudek, who was travelling on a “dependent” pass (which means he was most likely related to someone who worked for the airline) in first class, got up to use the bathroom after having one (just one!) beer.
He emerged quickly, asked a flight attendant a question, then went back in to the bathroom. About two minutes later, the report says:
“Hudek exited the lavatory and lunged toward the right forward exit door of the aircraft, grabbed the handle, and attempted to open it.”
fear of flying: activated
Two flight attendants attempted to restrain him, but the bloke was seriously intent on getting the door open (it wouldn’t have worked in any case, due to the altitude and the pressurisation).
Passengers joined in the attempt to subdue Hudek; he punched them and the crew repeatedly in the face, and hit another passenger with a red dessert wine bottle.
Here’s a picture of the Delta Flight 129 cabin after Joseph Hudek assaulted 3 people last night, according to court documents. pic.twitter.com/EZ4GoZFXmr
— Mitch Pittman (@Mitch_Pittman) July 7, 2017
It was then that a flight attendant grabbed two other wine bottles and “struck Hudek over the head with each, breaking at least one.“
Hudek’s response being smashed in the head with a 1-litre bottle of booze was to yell, “Do you know who I am?“, which is frankly chilling.
He was eventually restrained with the help of a bunch of other first class passengers, and he continued to struggle and remain “extremely combative” all the way back to Seattle, where police took him away.
If convicted, 23-year-old Hudek faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Here’s a sketch form inside the courtroom – note the bruise on his cheek. #komonews pic.twitter.com/Gz7Ykf8DXV
— Mitch Pittman (@Mitch_Pittman) July 7, 2017
Witnesses say that he wasn’t drunk or otherwise intoxicated, and had been acting normally until he burst out of that toilet. Which invites the question: just what the hell happened up there?
Source: Seattle Times.
Image: Twitter / @Mitch_Pittman.
