Stuck seat led to wild brawl on American Airlines flight: witness – New York Post

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A wild fistfight broke out between two passengers on an American Airlines flight — over a reclined seat that got stuck, footage shows.

The clip, obtained by KXAN, shows two men trading blows in the cramped cabin as other travelers look on and beg them to stop during Sunday’s trip from New Orleans to Austin, Texas.

The footage shows one man wagging his finger in the face of another passenger before he punches the man as another person stood between them.

Two men then pummel the passenger who appeared to throw the first blow, sending them into another row of seats as others scream for the unhinged melee to stop, the clip shows.

“Stop it!” another passenger screams.

A fight broke out on an American Airlines flight allegedly after a seat 'couldn't unrecline.'
A fight broke out on an American Airlines flight allegedly after a seat ‘couldn’t unrecline.’
Screenshot KXAN

“Do not hit me!” one woman yells.

The man who tried to separate the pair then punches one passenger in the back several times. The violent confrontation continues as the 44-second clip ends.

“Just don’t hurt anybody else on the plane,” another passenger says.

The fight happened on an American Airlines plane traveling from New Orleans to Austin.
The fight happened on an American Airlines plane traveling from New Orleans to Austin.
Alamy Stock Photo

Cops from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Police Department responded to the scene after the plane landed for an “altercation between passengers” on American Eagle Flight 4698 operated by Republic Airways, a spokesman for American Airlines told The Post in a statement.

The airline’s statement did not indicate what allegedly sparked the dispute, but a passenger said the spat started “over a seat that couldn’t unrecline,” KXAN reported.

One witness told CBS Austin two men had started harassing each other over the stuck seat as the plane neared its destination.

“When the plane finally landed in Austin and the seatbelt sign was turned off, both men jumped up and physically started fighting each other,” one passenger told the station.

The men were escorted off the plane and detained, although it’s unclear if either was arrested, CBS Austin reported.

A spokesman for American Airlines referred additional inquiries to law enforcement. Police in Austin told The Post Monday that cops responded to the airport, but made no arrests in connection to the incident.