An Alaska Airlines flight passenger was detained after he took off his clothes and ran down the aisle of the aircraft. The incident took place on board an Anchorage-bound flight on Monday, May 14.
The passenger, who remained anonymous, was reportedly running around inside the flight about 20 minutes before landing. Upon landing at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, the passenger was taken into custody and transported to a nearby hospital suspecting mental illness.
Former Alaska state senator Johnny Ellis brought the incident to everyone's notice as he shared the incident on Twitter. He described the entire incident in a series of tweets.
On my flt from SEA 2 ANC, a completely naked man ran from front of plane to back, yelling and waving. 2 big guys maybe one Air Marshall tackled him and locked in bathroom. Some fear & distress @ passengers NO word from Cpt or Crew. Waiting now @ gate 4 law enforcement!!" he wrote.
Surprisingly, Alaska Airlines said in a statement that flight 107 landed at Anchorage airport "without incident." Without much elaboration, they just mentioned that a male passenger, who caused disruption in the aircraft shortly before the boarding, was detained at the airport.
Ellis, who was the second to last to deboard the plane as he was waiting for a wheelchair, further wrote on Twitter: "Police boarded to take naked guy away. We thought drugs not booze. May have been psychotic break since some said guy who chased & tackled was actually his father. Flt attendants were debriefing. Cpt extra nice 2 passengers."
I waited 4 wheelchair & was next 2 last off plane. Police boarded to take naked guy away. We thought drugs not booze. May have been psychotic break since some said guy who chased & tackled was actually his father. Flt attendants were debriefing. Cpt extra nice 2 passengers.
— Johnny Ellis (@SenJohnnyEllis) May 15, 2018
Re Naked Guy on my plane. Sea 2 Anc. Attn local, state, Natl & Int’l media : I do not have photos or video of Naked Guy ! He was not happy or mean drunk. Might have been drugs but most likely psychotic break. Bad stuff happens if you stop psychotropic medication. Sad not funny.
— Johnny Ellis (@SenJohnnyEllis) May 15, 2018
Daniel Roberts, another flight passenger and Yahoo News reporter, also took to Twitter to share his experience.
"We just landed, Alaska Air 107 (Seattle to Anchorage), and 20 minutes before landing a guy (looks like early 20s) sprinted up and down the full length of the plane completely naked, yelling. very scary at first," Roberts wrote.
We just landed, Alaska Air 107 (Seattle to Anchorage), and 20 minutes before landing a guy (looks like early 20s) sprinted up and down the full length of the plane completely naked, yelling. very scary at first. all are okay, many now laughing. guy is restrained in back of plane.
— Daniel Roberts (@readDanwrite) May 15, 2018
A similar incident happened on an Alaska Airlines flight in February when a man was found disrobed in the washroom. The man created a ruckus as he denied following any instruction. The man was detained by the airport police and FBI shortly after the flight landed at Anchorage airport.
