Passenger tied to seat with sticky tape after trying to break into plane cockpit

Man arrested by Russian police

A drunk passenger on a flight in Russia had to be physically restrained after trying to break into the cockpit.

The unnamed man in his fifties was on an S7 domestic service from Mineralnye Vody to Novosibirsk when he became aggressive, shouting obscenities at passengers and crew, according to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The crew were forced to restrain the man “to avoid serious consequences”, said the Ministry’s official representative Irina Volk.

Video footage shows the irate passenger shouting while tied to a plane seat with several layers of sticky tape.

The flight’s crew contacted Novosibirsk airport and requested the aircraft be met by police on arrival.

“Getting aboard, police officers found a man fixed in a chair, who was kicking the wall of the cabin with his feet,” said Ms Volk.

“It was established that the citizen with visible signs of intoxication during the flight had used obscene language against flight attendants and other passengers.

(Russian Interior Ministry)

“He reacted aggressively to the comments of the airline personnel and was trying to enter the cockpit.

“To avoid serious consequences, the crew was forced to restrict his movements.”

The man was arrested and prosecuted for “grossly violating public order” during the flight.

According to the Ministry, the man continued to “behave defiantly” once in police custody, swearing at the officers on duty.

Video shows him shouting and attempting to charge at police.

It follows numerous high-profile cases of air rage this year.

In April, a woman had to be restrained for six hours on a flight after assaulting three other passengers, including an eight-year-old boy.

Louise Dixon, 51, became drunk and disruptive onboard the Virgin Atlantic service from Miami to London Heathrow, throwing a full water bottle at a child’s head “with some force”.

The mother of two from Ogmore-by-Sea near Bridgend, Wales, also attempted to hit several other passengers.

Dixon was restrained and put in handcuffs for the remainder of the flight.