Delta Flight Attendant Breaks Wine Bottle Over Rowdy Passenger's Head During Altercation

An attendant aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 129 from Seattle to Beijing resorted to smashing a large bottle of red wine over a passenger’s head after the man became violent during the flight. The passenger, Joseph Daniel Hudek IV, was arrested Thursday after allegedly attempting to open an exit door about an hour into the flight. The plane was forced to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as a result.

The New York Times reported Saturday that 23-year-old Hudek, who was seated in first class, made his way to the lavatory before the incident. According to a criminal complaint filed Friday and reported by the Times, the man exited the lavatory and asked a flight attendant a question before re-entering the bathroom. When he exited again, he reportedly “lunged toward the forward right exit door of the aircraft, grabbed the handle and attempted to open it.”

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A physical altercation ensued between Hudek and two flight attendants, one of whom he punched in the face at least two times. Another passenger became involved, at which time Hudek grabbed a bottle of red dessert wine and hit the other passenger in the face.

As Hudek continued his attempts to open the cabin door, one flight attendant hit Hudek with two bottles of red wine, breaking one of them over his head. Hudek was eventually able to be restrained with zip ties after further help from other passengers.

According to the complaint obtained by the Times, Hudek did not appear “impacted” after the attendant struck him with the wine bottle and yelled, “‘Do you know who I am?’ or something to that extent.”

CBS News reported Saturday that Hudek was flying with a “dependent pass” that he was able to secure because his mother is an employee of the carrier.

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Delta Air Lines confirmed the incident in a Monday statement to International Business Times.

“Flight 129 returned to Seattle following a security incident with a passenger,” said the airline. “The passenger was restrained onboard and was removed from the flight by law enforcement without further incident when the aircraft arrived back in Seattle.”

The crew and passengers deplaned, but the airline told IBT that “the flight re-departed for Beijing later Thursday evening.”

A passenger and flight attendant were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening but severe facial injuries, CBS News reported. The Times reported that Delta Air Lines’ chief operating officer, Gil West, commended the crew “for their fast action in keeping our customers and each other safe in a potentially dangerous situation.”

Quora noted in a piece on whether it's possible to open a carrier door mid-flight that it is an essentially impossible feat for the average person. The average exit hatch reportedly has “about 3 to 4 tons of pressure holding it in place” at cruise altitude. However a flight attendant involved in Thursday's incident said that if the altercation had occurred at a lower altitude, the door might have opened.

Hudek was charged with interfering with a flight crew. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. He will reportedly remain in police custody until his July 13 detention hearing.