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Chaos erupted in the high skies on a Jet2 flight late last month when a passenger flew into a violent outburst, reportedly threatening to “kill” everyone on board and attempting to open the emergency exit, which triggered a hijack alert.
Two Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter planes rushed to escort the commercial aircraft in making an emergency landing in Essex, England, while the woman was physically restrained for the rest of the trip. She has since been smacked with a $106,000 fine and banned from flying with Jet2 for life.
On June 22, Chloe Haines was traveling from London Stansted Airport to Dalaman, Turkey, with her grandmother, The Sun reports. Roughly 45 minutes after takeoff, the 25-year-old English woman reportedly exploded with “aggressive, abusive and dangerous behavior” as she tried to open the plane’s emergency exit and physically lashed out at flight attendants, as per the outlet and a news release shared with Fox News by the airline.
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Passenger Steve Brown, who formerly worked as a bouncer, rushed to restrain Haines and described her as having “super strength” as she kicked and punched flight attendants, Metro reports.
“She was only petite but she had the strength of a fully-grown man. The only time I’ve seen anything like that was when someone had just dropped acid, she had super strength,” he said, as per The Sun. "It was like she was possessed."
Chloe Haines, pictured, had a violent meltdown on a June Jet2 flight that caused the trip to be diverted. (Amy Varol)
Passenger Amy Varol echoed similar sentiments, agreeing that many people on board feared for their lives as the distraught woman started screaming “get off me, I’m going to kill everyone.”
Two supersonic RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft soon dramatically intervened, creating a sonic boom to blast through the sound barrier as they rushed to respond to the apparent emergency.
The plane was diverted back to Stanstead Airport, reps for Jet2 confirmed to Fox News. Upon deplaning, Haines was arrested by the Essex Police on charges of assault, criminal damage and and endangering an aircraft. She has been released on bail until Aug. 21, reports say.
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Jet2 passenger Amy Varol said that many people on board feared for their lives as the distraught woman started screaming “get off me, I’m going to kill everyone.” (iStock)
Video footage of the shocking ordeal shared to YouTube by The Sun depicts Haines restrained in a seat by others, as she yells and screams indiscernibly.
Upon her arrest, Essex Police say that Haines was not held under the mental health act.
The woman has been smacked with a $106,000 fine and lifetime ban from flying with Jet2.
“Miss Haines’ behavior was one of the most serious cases of disruptive passenger behavior that we have experienced. She must now face up to the consequences of her actions," Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy said. (Reuters)
“Miss Haines’ behavior was one of the most serious cases of disruptive passenger behavior that we have experienced. She must now face up to the consequences of her actions, and we will vigorously pursue to recover the costs that we incurred as a result of this divert,” Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said in the news release.
“As a family friendly airline, we take an absolutely zero tolerance approach to disruptive behavior, and we hope that this sobering incident, with its very serious consequences, provides a stark warning to others who think that they can behave in this fashion,” Heapy added.
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Just two weeks before her outburst in the high skies, Haines, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, is said to have been charged for drunk driving, The Sun reports.
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