Man Arrested After Naked Rampage on Australian Flight, Forcing Plane to Return
A man accused of running naked down the aisle of an Australian domestic flight, knocking down a flight attendant, and forcing the plane to turn back was arrested by police at the airport, officials said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred early during what was scheduled to be a 3-hour-and-30-minute Virgin Australia flight on Monday night from Perth on the west coast to Melbourne on the east coast.
The flight, VA696, returned to Perth Airport due to a "disruptive passenger," according to an airline statement.
Australian Federal Police officers were waiting for the plane and "the disruptive guest was offloaded," Virgin Australia said.
Police reported that "officers arrested a man after he allegedly ran naked through the aircraft mid-flight and knocked a crew member to the floor."
"The man was transferred to the hospital for assessment, where he remains," a police statement added.
It was not clear how or where on the plane the passenger removed his clothes.
Police expect to summon the man to appear in a Perth court on June 14. The specific charges he will face have yet to be finalized.
The airline apologized to "guests impacted" by the incident, emphasizing that the safety of passengers and crew was its top priority.
Both the airline and police declined to comment beyond their initial statements.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that no injuries were understood to have occurred during the incident.
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