Flight Passenger Allegedly Tried To Enter Cockpit, Assaulted Airline Crew

An Irish flight passenger was arrested and charged after he allegedly acted in a disrupted manner mid-flight.

Leroy Hyland, 25, who lives in Australia on a temporary working visa, was accused of trying to break into the cockpit and assaulting a flight attendant. Hyland was also charged with showcasing offensive and disorderly conduct on an aircraft and committing an act of violence against a flight aviation enforcement officer inside the plane, Mail Online reported.

The incident took place on a Delta Air Lines flight DL41, which was flying from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia. The flight took off from the U.S. at 10.26 p.m. local time (1:26 a.m. EDT) on Oct. 9 and landed at the Sydney International Airport at 6.50 a.m. local time on Oct. 10 (3:50 p.m. EDT, Oct. 9).

When Hyland started behaving in a disruptive manner, he was told by the flight attendants to return to his seat – an instruction he did not heed. He then proceeded to assault one of the airline crew members, according to the complaint filed against him.

After he allegedly attacked one of the flight attendants, he was restrained for the remainder of the journey.

Hyland was taken into custody by Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers at 7.20 a.m. local time on Oct. 10 (4:20 p.m. EDT, Oct. 9) and was charged at Botany Bay police station. He made a brief appearance before the Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday. His case was adjourned till next month.

Citing Hyland’s case as an example, AFP Airport Police Commander, Detective Acting Superintendent Simone O'Mahony, reiterated the importance of flight passengers maintaining decorum while on board planes.

“The safe travel of passengers through our airports is a key priority for the AFP,” O'Mahony said. “This alleged behavior has no place in our aviation system and, while there was no significant delay or personal harm caused on this occasion, it should still serve as a warning to others. If you risk the safety of your fellow passengers, you risk facing significant penalties.”

On Oct. 21, a Delta Flight 116 from Georgia to Stuttgart, Germany, was diverted to Maine after a passenger “got a little disorderly.”

“The aircraft was met by local authorities, and the passenger deplaned the aircraft and was taken into custody. The aircraft resumed its flight to Stuttgart and arrived approximately two hours behind schedule,” the airline told Fox News. “Delta applauds the professionalism of our flight crew in managing the situation, and apologizes for any inconvenience to customers aboard Flight 116.”

A video of the incident, recorded by another passenger who witnessed the situation, showed a woman sitting on the floor of the airplane passage as people all around her tried to convince her to return back to her seat.