The Worst Airplane Passenger of 2022

The unruly passengers aren’t going away.

It’s been an issue that became worse throughout the pandemic, and this week we have one passenger who may end up as the worst of the year.

A Frontier Airlines flight, bound from New York to Orlando, was forced to make an emergency landing in North Carolina on Wednesday evening after an agitated passenger instigated a rather bizarre in-flight ruckus.

Frontier Flight 1335 was en route from LaGuardia Airport to Orlando International Airport when an unidentified man began coming unglued because he was convinced the woman in the seat behind him was jabbing him with needles and stealing his DNA.

“Guy started flipping out saying the lady behind him was sticking him with needle to steal DNA,” a cabinmate posted, along with a video, on Twitter.

“They stickin’ m’f***ers with needles, takin’ my f***in’ DNA, all kinda sh*t!” the unruly passenger can be heard exclaiming in the footage.

While only portions of the man’s escalating rant were captured on camera, he became increasingly hysterical and allegedly began threatening his fellow passengers, including a baby.

“Said he’d smack every mf on this plane…Threatened a baby…Said he’d kill everyone on this plane,” the Twitter used wrote.

In a sort of citizens’ arrest, six fellow flyers took it upon themselves to grab the man and restrain him, ultimately tying him down to his seat—at which point he becomes audibly unglued, shouting, “You can’t do this! Oh, my God!” with six men standing over him.

In the background, flight crew can be heard announcing over the PA systems that other passengers should remain in their seats, despite the very visible disturbance that’s in progress.

The plane was re-routed to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, where local police were waiting to escort the unruly passenger off the aircraft. The flight’s remaining passengers were obliged to wait for two hours before being able to re-depart for Orlando.

ABC11 News reported that the case has been referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and that no charges had yet been filed by Thursday morning, although the case remains under investigation.