Naked man locks himself in airplane bathroom, forces flight to turn back

A flight Wednesday from Anchorage to Seattle didn’t turn around because of weather, mechanical problems or illness.

No, it was the naked man locked in the bathroom, according to KTVA.

The flight departed Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at 1:25 a.m. Wednesday, but returned to the airport a short time later, turning around over Prince William Sound, according to FlightAware.

“There was a subject on the aircraft that had barricaded or locked himself in the bathroom, the lavatory,” Airport Police and Fire Sgt. Darcey Perry told KTVA. “Flight attendants did find that the subject was naked.”

Passenger Kate Danyluk said she saw flight attendants moving around the cabin wearing gloves, reported The Associated Press.

“I’d rather go back to Anchorage than have something happen,” Danyluk, a teacher in Anchorage, said.

“While no emergency was declared, pilots made the decision to return to Anchorage,” Alaska Airlines spokesman Tim Thompson told KTVA. “Flight 146 arrived at Anchorage International around 2:45 a.m. and was met by law enforcement officers at the gate. The passenger was escorted off the flight by officers.”

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney in Anchorage told KTVA that no charges had been filed against the passenger. The Boeing 737, which had 178 passengers aboard when it turned around, took off from Anchorage a second time at 6:37 a.m.

A United Airlines flight from Chicago to Hong Kong was forced to land in Anchorage Jan. 4 when a passenger began smearing feces everywhere.

This story was originally published February 8, 2018 at 7:56 AM with the headline "Naked man locks himself in airplane bathroom, forces flight to turn back."