Drunken Passenger Escored Off Plane In Philadelphia

A passenger who was deemed unruly and disruptive by the flight crew on a Philadelphia-to-London jet caused that flight to be diverted to Boston where that passenger was arrested.

Glasgow resident John Alexander Murray's arm was in a splint and he allegedly refused the crew's requests to keep it out of the aisle. They say he then became belligerent and demanded to be taken back to Philadelphia.

Murray was arrested after US Airways Flight 728 landed at around 11 p.m. Monday November 16, 2009. The plane departed for London two hours later without him.

Murray pleaded not guilty to a charge of interfering with a flight crew, and was ordered to return to court December first.

Notes from AirSafe.com
Extreme misbehavior by unruly passengers, often called air rage or sky rage, can lead to some tense moments in the air and may even put crew members and passengers at risk. Reasons for such behavior include excessive alcohol consumption, smoking bans, crowding, and long flights, psychological feelings of a loss of control, or problems with authority figures.

Also, pay attention to tip #9 from AirSafe.com's Top Ten Airline Safety Tips - The atmosphere in an airliner cabin is pressurized to about the same altitude as Denver, so any alcohol you consume will affect you more strongly than at sea level. Moderation is a good policy at any altitude.