Passenger Allegedly Bites Another Flyer En Route to Philly

A flight from Charlotte to Philadelphia turned chaotic Sunday when a passenger allegedly bit another traveler and became physically aggressive, according to cockpit audio. In a recording reviewed by CBS News, the American Airlines pilot radios that a passenger was "trying to fight everybody" and speculates he might be hallucinating, then asks for medical personnel and law enforcement to meet the plane "as a precaution." The man was in his 70s, UPI reports.

American later described the incident as a medical emergency and said a medical professional on board assisted the passenger before landing; the airline did not clarify whether police were waiting at the gate. The flight arrived safely in Philadelphia just before 10am. The exchange between the pilot and air traffic control ended on a lighter note, with the controller wishing him a happy Father's Day and the pilot joking he'd share the story with his daughters. The episode follows several recent in-flight disturbances, including two separate cases in which passengers allegedly tried to open plane doors midair, and another involving a 75-year-old man described as undergoing a mental health crisis. And yet another also involved biting, this time a passenger who allegedly bit a police officer who was attempting to remove her from the plane, the New York Post reports.