An American Airlines flight to California was diverted to Denver following an alleged attack on a flight attendant Wednesday.
Witnesses initially claimed the attack, which is said to have resulted in a broken nose for a flight attendant, began over a mask dispute, but American Airlines says that the incident and resulting Flight 976 diversion from New York City to Santa Ana was not related to a mask issue, per CBS News.
“American Airlines flight 976 with service from New York (JFK) to Santa Ana (SNA) diverted to Denver (DEN) due to a passenger who physically assaulted a flight attendant,” airline spokesperson Laura Masvidal wrote in a statement to Complex. “The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the gate where law enforcement removed and apprehended the passenger.”
Passenger Mackenzie Rose told CBS Los Angeles that the altercation took place when the plane was over Ohio before it was set to arrive in John Wayne Airport, and the Federal Aviation Administration—which is looking into the incident—reports that the plane eventually had to land at 6:37 p.m. Denver time. She also detailed what she saw on board.
“I saw her walk by and she had blood on the outside of her mask, which bless her, she was still wearing,” Rose said, providing CBS with what she says is a photo of the man who attacked the flight attendant.
Meanwhile, NBC Los Angeles reporter Robert Kovacik tweeted that a passenger was duct taped after breaking a flight attendant’s nose.
In its statement, AA sid it’s “outraged by the reports of what took place on board” and that “acts of violence against our team members will not be tolerated.”
“We have engaged local law enforcement and the FBI and we are working with them to ensure they have all the information they need,” Masvidal added. “The individual involved in this incident will never be allowed to travel with American Airlines in the future, but we will not be satisfied until he has been prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This behavior must stop, and aggressive enforcement and prosecution of the law is the best deterrent.”
