During a recent flight bound for Phoenix, a Southwest plane was compelled to return to the gate when a female passenger walked to the front and began removing her clothes.
The woman, who clearly expressed her desire to leave the flight, proceeded to undress completely, launching into a verbal attack on fellow passengers, harassing the flight attendants, and even banging on the cockpit doors, as recounted by witnesses.
“She turned toward us and stripped all of her clothes off,” a passenger told KHOU-TV.
According to a statement from another passenger to KPNX-TV, “She began to jump and scream at the top of her lungs, exhibiting obvious signs of a mental breakdown.”
The passenger also told KPNX that the woman claimed she was bipolar.
Houston’s Hobby Airport (James Nielsen/Chronicle)
One of the passengers caught the incident on cellphone video, which showed her walking up and down the plane’s aisle completely naked, screaming and banging her head.
After the plane returned to the gate at Houston’s Hobby Airport, a worker covered her in a blanket, but then the woman took off, the passenger said.
“The lady just runs out of the airplane, and who knows where she went?” she told KPNX.
The flight was headed to Phoenix from Houston. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Houston police told the station she was taken to a hospital for medical evaluation and isn’t facing any charges yet.
Southwest told KHOU, “Local law enforcement met Flight 733 from Houston to Phoenix Monday afternoon after it returned to the gate because of a Customer situation onboard. We apologize to our Customers for the delay in their travels and appreciate their patience as our Teams worked to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible.”
