Shocking footage shows the moment an American Airlines passenger assaulted an unsuspecting flight attendant — sneaking after him and punching the employee for being refused a cup of coffee.
The incident occurred on Flight 377 from San Jose del Cabo to LAX on Wednesday after he attempted to move to a seat near the first-class cabin and saw the passenger remove from the plane after it landed.
Upon arrival at the airport, the suspect – 33-year-old Alexander Tung Cuu Lee from Westminster – was arrested on suspicion of meddling with a flight crew.
If found guilty of the misdemeanor, federal felony Lee — who allegedly threatened the male servant before the filmed attack — could face up to 20 years in prison.
He is expected to appear in court for the first time Thursday afternoon in downtown Los Angeles.
The incident reportedly started after the suspect began to mutter nonsensical to himself about “killers” aboard the California plane, reportedly whispering, “there are 10 killers on the plane.”
At the time, a female flight attendant reportedly went back to address the man with the male flight attendant who was attacked to help, passengers said.
Video taken by passenger Barrie Livingstone shows the immediate aftermath of the encounter, with the male flight attendant standing in the aisle in front of the suspect, out of sight and out of his seat.
Shocking footage shows the moment an American Airlines passenger assaulted an unsuspecting flight attendant – sneaking after him and obliviously to the staffer aboard a flight from Mexico to Los Angeles
The two seem to exchange words in an apparently tense encounter. Twice the male servant asks the disgruntled traveler, “Are you threatening me?”
Off-screen, the suspect appears to swing at the attendant, causing the staffer to say, “Okay, that’s it,” before turning his back to walk away from the man.
Then he turns and heads for the front of the plane – when Lee suddenly attacks.
He gasps as the unruly passenger, dressed in an orange Hawaiian shirt, sprints from behind to the unwitting staff in the heart-pounding clip.
The suspect then hits him on the head, while the attendant has his back turned to him, with a closed fist.
‘Oh my God!’ a passenger can be heard screaming amid the resulting chaos after the apparently middle-aged suspect delivers the backstabbing punch. ‘What are you doing?’
Video taken by passenger Barrie Livingstone shows the immediate aftermath of the encounter, with the male flight attendant standing in the aisle in front of the man, who is out of sight and out of his seat
The suspect then, while the attendant has his back turned to him, hits him in the back of the head with a closed fist, according to the images.
Amid the ensuing commotion, the attacked worker is seen producing a telephone to supposedly call authorities as the man, identified as 33-year-old Westminster resident Alexander Tung Cuu Lee, backs away before returning to his seat.
Amid the ensuing commotion, the attacked worker is seen producing a telephone to supposedly call the authorities, while the man backs off seemingly admiring his handiwork and returns to his seat.
Another crew member rushes to retrieve a pair of safety buoys.
Coincidentally also on board the plane was a producer for CBS San Diego affiliate KFMB-TV, who said passengers “assisted” the suspect while staff tied him to his seat with flexible cuffs, a type of zipper used by airlines. used to hold passengers.
A separate video on social media shows the aircraft workers involved in this act, as awestruck passengers watch.
The suspect was then escorted off the plane by Los Angeles Airport Police as soon as the plane landed, and has since been detained pending an investigation into the incident — which could lead to him being charged with a federal crime.
An American Airlines spokesperson said the man has since been permanently banned from flying the airline and has been taken into police custody.
Another witness said chaos broke out after the female flight attendant asked the man to sit before her male colleague came over to help, sparking the heated confrontation.
A separate video posted on social media shows airplane workers strapping the traveler to his seat after the eruption, while passengers look on in awe.
“Violence against our team members will not be tolerated by American Airlines,” spokesman Derek Walls said in a statement about the incident on Thursday.
“The person involved in this incident will never be allowed to travel with us in the future and we will work closely with the police in their investigation.”
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), a union that represents more than 26,000 flight attendants at American Airlines, also publicly responded to the alleged attack.
Lee was subsequently arrested on suspicion of meddling with a flight crew. He faces federal charges if found responsible for the attack, and will appear in court on Thursday
In a statement released Thursday, the organization labeled the incident “dangerous” and “life-threatening,” adding that it fits in with a pattern of similar attacks on airline personnel, potentially putting flight attendants at risk.
The union added that they will do everything necessary to ensure that the violator will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“This violent behavior endangers the safety of all passengers and crew and must stop,” said Julie Hendrick, the national president of the flight attendant association.
“APFA fully supports the affected crew members and will do everything possible to ensure that the passenger is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to figures from the Federal Aviation Administration, airlines have reported nearly 2,000 incidents involving unruly passengers this year, down from nearly 6,000 last year, even with a 38% increase in U.S. air travelers.
Most incidents in 2021 and early 2022 involved passengers refusing to wear face masks, but the federal requirement for masks on airplanes and on public transportation was dropped by a federal judge in April.
While the FAA agency has not followed up on such reports in previous years, a spokesperson said it was safe to assume this year’s numbers are the highest on record.
Since the FAA announced a “zero tolerance policy” against unruly passengers in January, the FAA has disclosed potential fines — some in excess of $30,000 — against dozens of passengers and has investigated more than 400 cases.
According to figures from the FAA, that’s about three times the average number of full-year cases over the past ten years.
The move was praised by leaders of major flight attendant unions, who lobbied to create the training programs after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. The terrorists who hijacked four planes on the day of the attacks attacked several flight attendants and passengers before entering the cockpits. .
“Since a flight attendant was the first to die, we wanted to make sure we could protect ourselves from physical altercations both on and off the plane,” said Lyn Montgomery, president of the local union representing Southwest Airlines flight attendants. “Right now it’s really necessary, it’s incredibly valuable.”
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, who also advocated making the classes mandatory, nevertheless praised TSA for restarting voluntary classes now because of the increase in flight clashes.
“This should send a message to the public that these events are serious” and that flight attendants are there to “ensure the safety and security of everyone on the plane,” she said.
The number of unruly passenger incidents, meanwhile, has fallen sharply since the cancellation of face mask mandates for planes in April. Yet nearly 680 investigations have been launched by the FAA into such an attack this year, far more than usual.
The FAA is currently investigating this incident. The suspect is still in custody and charged with a federal count of meddling with flight crew members and escorts.