Passengers' Cell Phone Scuffle Forces Flight to Make Emergency Landing

Image: PHOTO: Qantas airplanes. (photos via TkKurikawa / iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus)
Image: PHOTO: Qantas airplanes. (photos via TkKurikawa / iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus)
Donald Wood
by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:29 PM ET, Thu September 12, 2019

A fight that started over one passenger refusing to turn off his cellphone forced a QantasLink pilot to call for an emergency landing during a flight in Australia earlier this week.

According to News.com.au, QantasLink Flight QF1421 took off from Sydney Airport en route to Canberra Airport Wednesday at around 3:15 p.m. local time and was about halfway to the destination when the incident occurred.

The report claims a young male passenger was told by attendants to turn off his phone and he refused. As a result, an older male passenger slapped the phone out of the young man's hands, which resulted in an altercation.

The captain of the flight was informed of the incident and called for the plane to make an emergency landing back in Sydney. An anonymous passenger on the flight told News.com.au the pilot announced, "any passenger altercation won't be tolerated onboard."

When the flight landed in Sydney, police were there to meet the plane on the tarmac and attendants opened the doors to allow officers onboard. A spokesperson for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) released the following statement:

"AFP officers spoke with staff and a number of passengers in relation to an alleged onboard altercation, however, no charges have been laid at this time. AFP investigations are ongoing and no further comment can be made."


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Donald Wood

Donald Wood

Managing Editor

Donald Wood is TravelPulse’s Managing Editor, bringing nearly 15 years of experience to the desk. He currently lives outside Philadelphia with his wife and two children.

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