Breeze Airways Flight Incident

A Breeze Airways flight, MX704, took off from Norfolk, Virginia, headed for Los Angeles International Airport around 9:04 AM on Wednesday.

During the flight, a disruptive passenger, 46-year-old David Leroy Carter from Los Angeles, reportedly clashed with other passengers and flight attendants.

In a statement from the Grand Junction Police, officers noted that intoxicated male passengers were yelling racist slurs at the airline staff while brandishing their skateboards.

One passenger recounted, “It’s just an F bomb and an N bomb,” highlighting the harsh language used.

Video footage shared online shows flight attendants attempting to manage the situation, but Carter resisted their efforts. At one point, he was overheard telling the crew, “That’s the last thing you’re trying to do to me.”

The flight attendants then enlisted the help of other passengers to restrain Carter, leading to a large man in the cabin, nicknamed “the linebacker,” picking him up and placing him back in his seat.

Another passenger described the man as “standing up and sitting down like a little kid.”

A good Samaritan, only identified as Ray, shared with the news outlet that he acted to protect other passengers, saying, “My son was there and there were other kids, so I had to sit him.” Ray was later identified as a towering 6’6″, having played defensive end in high school.

Although airline staff attempted to detain Carter multiple times, he managed to break free until the situation escalated. Audio from air traffic control revealed that Carter had tried to remove his seatbelt to use it as a weapon.

The pilot reported that Carter was considered a serious threat, claiming, “Yeah, unruly passengers are free from his custody.” Consequently, the flight was diverted to Grand Junction Airport around 11:33 AM for safety reasons.

Upon landing, law enforcement quickly boarded the aircraft. Video captured passengers cheering as they witnessed police handcuff Carter.

Authorities revealed that although Carter did not physically assault anyone, one flight attendant and another passenger were evaluated for minor injuries.

Overall, the passengers experienced a six-hour delay in arriving at LAX. The FBI is continuing to investigate the incident, although it remains unclear what charges Carter may face.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there have been over a thousand reports of unruly passengers this year.