LOS ANGELES — A United Airlines flight from Austin to Los Angeles became the scene of a bizarre incident when a passenger had to be restrained with zip ties after repeatedly kicking his own seat.
Fellow passenger Gino Galofaro, a counselor from San Diego, captured the incident on United Flight 502 on November 16 on his cell phone.
The footage shows a man forcefully kicking the back of his own seat multiple times during the flight.
Galofaro, CEO of Hope Interventions Inc., a San Diego-based substance abuse intervention company, told CBS 8 that he and two other passengers took action to restrain the disruptive individual when no one else intervened. He said he saw flight attendants walk by more than once, and they didn't do anything.
Galofaro said he got the man from the back and put a choke on him while the other passengers used zip ties to restrain his hands and feet. They then buckled the man back into his seat.
"By the time we zip-tied him, we seat belted him around the seat and kind of restrained him like that. He just put his head down and kind of came out of it and was calm the rest of the flight," said Galofaro.
United Airlines confirmed that the flight had 76 passengers and 5 crew members. Upon landing at Los Angeles International Airport, police met the aircraft. A spokesperson told CBS 8 that officers believed the man was under the influence of something or suffering from a medical episode. He was transported to the hospital.
Galofaro said that since then, the man's mother has contacted him. He said she told him her son has been battling substance abuse issues for years.
"Obviously, she's not happy the video is all over the place, but she's happy I'm able to help her, offer him help, and find him the resources he needs," said Galofaro.
In a statement, United Airlines told CBS 8:
"On Nov. 16, local law enforcement met United Flight 502 upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport after a customer became disruptive. We thank our crew for helping address the situation and working to ensure the safety of everyone on board. We've banned this customer from future United flights."
As the busy holiday travel season continues, this incident reminds us of the unpredictable nature of air travel and the importance of passenger and crew vigilance.
According to the FAA, in 2023, it received more than 2,000 unruly passenger reports and issued more than $7.5 million in fines. The data shows the number of reports has declined in recent years. During the pandemic in 2021, reports spiked to nearly 6,000.