Flight turned around due to passenger's 'fart frenzy': A stinky saga from Phoenix to Austin
According to a witness, the trouble with the disruptive passenger started on the tarmac at the Phoenix airport. The American Airlines crew was preparing for takeoff when a passenger reportedly started releasing pungent gas, a situation described by onlookers as a "fart frenzy."
5:07 AM EST, January 25, 2024
Unpleasant odors disrupted the flight
"Before most passengers boarded, I noticed this man seemed considerably upset. He might have been hungover, or just having a worse day, but upon settling into his seat, he started mumbling to himself," a Reddit user noted in a post.
Once most passengers boarded, the man shouted: "You thought that was rude? How about this smell?" He then began to release unpleasant odors, inciting heated disputes onboard.
The offending passenger, choosing to publicly pass gas, loudly announced: "Yes, everyone, let's all simultaneously consume the smelliest possible food" - as noted in the shared post.
Another passenger rebuked the man, describing his actions as "downright rude". They suggested that he should consider flying private if he wasn't content with commercial flights. The situation escalated when flight attendants confronted the man about his behavior.
The passenger was subsequently removed from the plane
While taxiing at the airport, the pilot decided to return to the gate. "The flight attendant informed the contentious passenger that he would not continue on this flight. His response was confusion, to which she assured him that everything would be explained once he left the aircraft," recounted the Reddit post author.
A moment later, the man de-boarded the plane, much to the relief of the other passengers. Despite the disturbance, the departure was delayed by a mere 15 minutes.
"I'm flying to Phoenix next week. Maybe that guy will still be at the airport?"; "It's heartening that they removed him before things got worse"; "Seems like he will be opting for a private flight after all" - Internet users made light of the situation.