American passenger bites flight attendant, forcing plane to return to Tokyo, airline says

A US-bound passenger plane faced an unexpected turn of events when a 55-year-old American citizen bit a female flight attendant mid-flight on Tuesday (Jan 16).

The All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight, which departed from Japan’s Haneda Airport at 9:47 pm local time, was en route to Seattle, with a scheduled 10-hour journey.

However, approximately three hours into the flight, the plane, as indicated by a flight tracking website, abruptly returned to Haneda Airport.

“While flying over the Pacific Ocean, a passenger who was heavily intoxicated bit the arm of a female cabin attendant prompting the plane to return to Tokyo Haneda airport,” a spokesperson for All Nippon Airways was quoted as saying by NBC News Thursday (Jan 18).

Authorities have not disclosed the suspect’s name, but the 55-year-old man was promptly handed over to local police upon the plane’s landing. The individual now faces assault charges stemming from the in-flight incident.

According to reports from local media, the man claimed to have taken sleeping pills and could not recall the details of the altercation during the flight, which occurred over the Pacific Ocean.

The plane, carrying 159 passengers at the time, encountered this unusual incident that led to the man’s arrest upon landing.