Drunk Passenger Onboard MH179 Triggers Aviation Anxiety On Twitter

"A blood and urine test was conducted and we can confirm he was not intoxicated,” Sepang acting chief Supt Abdul OCPD Aziz Ali was quoted as saying by the Malay Mail.

malaysia-chronicle.com

He said the 54-year-old was being remanded at the Sepang police headquarters and forwarded papers for the man be investigated and charged to the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP).

"He (the passenger) was seated in the first class and asked for the stewardess to serve him whiskey after the flight had taken off. However, because the ‘fasten seatbelt sign’ was still turned on, his request was rejected. That was when he got mad and got into a scuffle with one of the stewardesses," said Supt Abdul Aziz. He added the businessman was travelling alone and he lives in Bali with his wife.

Selangor deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar said police were investigating the man under Section 70(1) of the Malaysia Civil Aviation Regulations 1996 for "imperilling the safety of an aircraft or any person on board".

German businessman Dietmar Ross, 54, was sentenced to one's month jail for causing danger to a Malaysia Airlines cabin crew member on a Sri Lanka-bound flight. He pleaded guilty at a Sepang Sessions Court here on 13 May to the charge of endangering a cabin crew member.

asiaone.com

According to police investigations, Ross had pressed the buzzer several times to notify the airline crew for drinks as he was thirsty. After about 30 minutes, the German national decided to go and get the drink himself and was told to sit down by a crew member. A scuffle ensued following an argument, leading several crew members of the airline to be kicked, with one suffering bruises. The scuffle led Ross to threaten the crew leading the airliner to return back to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

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The German national is said to have endangered MAS flight crew member, Phuah Soh Kin, 48, by raising his voice and using foul language. He was charged under ‎Regulation 70 (1) Civil Aviation Rules 1969, which is punishable under Regulation 188 (7) of the same regulation.

Under the regulation, a person can face a maximum fine of RM50,000 or a maximum two years jail. Deputy public prosecutor Uma Devi Balasubramaniam prosecuted while Ross was represented by counsel Zaflee Pakwanteh.

Flight MH179 took off from KLIA at 11.27 p.m. and was supposed to arrive in Colombo, Sri Lanka at 12.18 a.m. Sri Lankan time. However, it caused netizens to worry after flight trackers showed Flight MH179 flying in circles over the ocean west of Pulau Ketam since about 11.30 p.m.

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Flight tracker website 'Flightradar24' in its Twitter at 1.30 this morning said the aircraft made a turnback after dumping fuel for two hours in the Melaka Strait to reduce the weight of the plane, before landing.

malaysiandigest.com

It is typically used by aircraft to maintain its location while waiting for permission to land at a congested airport. It is also used by some aircraft to burn fuel until it is light enough to make a safe landing if its journey is cut short, including Boeing 737-800s such as the one used to fly the MH179 route.

On the night of 10 May, an intoxicated passenger forced Malaysia Airlines’ (MAS) flight MH179 to turn around, the national airline revealed.

therakyatpost.com

MAS said in a statement that the drunk passenger started harassing the crew members soon after flight MH179 had taken off from KLIA at 11.27pm.

“Due to his big body size, the other passengers had to assist the crew in restraining the passenger. To ensure safety and comfort of those on-board, the commander of the flight made a decision to turn back,” said the statement.

According to the statement, the disruptive passenger was handed over to the authorities upon arrival at the KLIA. MH179 then departed for Colombo at 10.06am on the same day.

freemalaysiatoday.com