HOUSTON – A Southwest Airlines flight was forced to return to its gate after a female passenger stripped naked and ran up and down the aisle for 25 minutes, shocking fellow travelers.
The incident occurred Monday on Flight 733 from Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport to Phoenix. Footage captured by passenger Macy Estevez and first shared by ABC13 showed the woman baring her breasts and gyrating in front of the cabin inside the Boeing 737. Estevez stated that the woman continued parading through the aircraft before authorities intervened.
The Houston Police Department detained the woman for medical evaluation but did not confirm whether charges would be filed. Reports indicate she repeatedly demanded to be let off the plane and claimed to be bipolar during her outburst.
A statement from Southwest Airlines confirmed the disruption and issued an apology to affected passengers. “Local law enforcement met Flight 733 from Houston to Phoenix Monday afternoon after it returned to the gate because of a customer situation onboard,” the airline stated. “We’ve reached out to customers to apologize for the delay and appreciate their patience as our teams worked to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible.”
Passengers recounted the chaotic scene, with some reporting that the woman attempted to enter the cockpit before being restrained. KHOU11 reported that she banged on the cockpit doors, shouting to be let in. “She turned around facing us and stripped all of her clothes off,” one passenger recalled. “It was really scary.”
Footage obtained by 12News captured the woman running through the aisle, yelling “wait, wait, wait” as passengers watched in disbelief. Witnesses expressed surprise at the lack of immediate intervention, with one passenger commenting, “Very weird that nobody kind of intervened. Everyone just let her run on and on.”
A gate attendant reportedly wrapped the woman in a blanket as she was escorted off the plane. Experts advise passengers in similar situations to remain calm, distance themselves from the disruptive individual, and intervene only if necessary or instructed by flight staff.
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