Delta Pilot Forced To Ground Plane After Flight Attendants’ Fist Fight

Two flight attendants were involved in fist fight on a Jan. 22 Delta flight that forced the pilot to land the plane from 37,000 feet.

The disagreement started over “work issues” but escalated quickly, according to The Aviation Herald. A third crew member tried to calm the two attendants but was hit as well in the fight.

The Washington Post received an email from Delta on Monday morning apologizing for the inconvenience it caused.

“Delta apologizes to those customers who were inconvenienced after flight 2598 from Los Angeles to Minneapolis-St. Paul made an unscheduled stop in Salt Lake City following an altercation involving two flight attendants on board,” the statement said. “The actions of these crew members in no way reflect the values and professionalism we expect from all of our employees.”

The customers on board were also given compensation for their lost time. “SkyMiles members received miles, while customers who are not currently SkyMiles members received a travel voucher,” Delta said.

The flight was about 200 miles south of Salt Lake City when the pilot decided to land to speak with the flight attendants. After landing in Salt Lake City International Airport and waiting 80 minutes to depart again, the flight was more than an hour late to its final destination of Minneapolis.