Original subtitles

(intense music)

(airplane hums)

- Onboard tonight's "fasten your seatbelt."

(bell dings)

(man groans) (beep)

(people yell)

An angry drunk kicks up a storm in dallas.

This flight went viral in the worst possible way.

A driver turns an airport into a highway.

And pilots turn the highways into runways.

- [woman] holy (beep). What the (beep)?

- [robert] modern air travel,

Now more than ever before

People are acting up and acting out while traveling.

- [woman] if there's no flight just say,

"there's no flight!"

- [robert] it's a melting pot of stress and anxiety.

- [woman] I want a manager of the airport here!

- [robert] whether it's strangeness in the air

Or strangers on the ground,

This jet stream of raw emotion

Is all caught on camera.

- [pilot] stop,

You don't put your hands on my flight attendant!

- I'm robert hayes.

I played the reluctant pilot of a doomed flight

In the classic film "airplane."

But in real life, air travel is just as hair-raising.

(people scream)

So buckle up, we're about to take off.

As of January, 2021,

A us government mandate requires all passengers on planes

To wear a mask, but some people just didn't get the memo.

- [woman] if we don't stand up,

It's only going to get worse!

- [robert] masks are a hot button issue,

And this woman's boiling.

- [woman 2] get her off.

(group cheers)

- [robert] now she'll cool off in the terminal.

Tempers flare while boarding this flight to las vegas,

As this woman argues with other passengers over yes,

A mask.

What are you doing, huh? What are you doing?

What are you doing? What are you doing?

Fly the plane, what are you doing?

- [robert] he's doing what a pilot should,

Trying to maintain order.

- [woman 2] I'm trying to!

- [man] there's always one.

- [man] oh my god!

- [man] I don't feel safe too.

- [woman 2] tell me what's going on.

- [woman 3] shut up.

- [woman 2] nobody on this airplane is wearing a mask!

- [robert] actually, it looks like most of them are.

- [woman 2] what's going on?

Why are kicking me off the plane,

'cause I'm white?

(group cheers)

- [robert] the woman is ordered to leave the plane

And she is not all right with that.

(group cheers)

(man cheers)

(airplane engine roars)

- [robert] at an airport,

The amount of alcohol one consumes could be the difference

Between making that flight, or starting a fight.

At singapore's changi airport,

What first looks like a casual chat

Between this dancing traveler and two police officers

Is anything but.

These officers confront the intoxicated passenger

After hearing that he harassed another traveler

In the terminal.

- [robert] he's not just resisting police,

He's taunting them.

With his headphones on, he even shows off some dance moves.

- [robert] this disorderly traveler

Is on a layover en route to the philippines.

When one officer tries to get him in custody,

He is not having it.

(glass shatters)

(tense music)

- [robert] the rowdy man resists officers

As the fight moves throughout the airport.

(speaking malay)

(beep)

(men grunt)

(beep)

(woman screams)

- [robert] here's another look.

This officer uses his baton,

Trying to control the combative man and protect himself.

He charges, hitting the officer's face,

Sending him into the tape and metal pole

And landing on his rear.

Seeing these officers struggle, even onlookers get involved.

But this man still cannot be restrained.

Finally, it takes a team of police officers

And airport employees to take down

The inebriated australian brawler.

(woman screams)

The airport dancer was arrested and sentenced

To jail time in singapore.

- An aviation medicine study

Has shown that approximately 40% of airport crew injuries

Are from slips, trips and falls.

But nowhere in this study,

Were there any statistics on what you are about to see.

It's a real life mario kart moment,

But with much higher stakes.

Kazan international airport is one of russia's busiest.

But one night in December of 2016,

It had some unexpected traffic

Straight out of a hollywood film.

(tense music)

This sedan is ramming its way into an airport entrance.

(glass shatters)

Luckily, baggage claim is empty

Because now the driver makes a six point turn

Right near the carousel.

(glass shatters)

Travelers look on with confusion

As the rogue vehicle rolls by.

(tires squeal)

Another camera catches the driver

Entering a different building

And rolling through the sliding doors like a stunt man.

(tires squeal)

(tires squeal)

(glass shatters)

(tires squeal)

The vehicle finally comes to a stop,

But not for long.

Officers finally capture the negligent driver

As he drives out of the airport.

At a court hearing,

The out of control driver claimed

He was supposed to meet a lady friend at the airport

And that his motor vehicle escapade was a gesture of love.

He was found guilty and jailed on two felonies,

Assault and deliberately destroying property.

The daredevil was reportedly intoxicated

And his driver's license was revoked.

(glass shatters)

(airplane engine revs)

Inflight magazines, tray tables,

Packed overhead compartments,

These are things people are used to seeing on their flight,

But there is one thing you definitely do not want to see.

It's 2014, and this flight from philadelphia

Has just landed in punta cana in the dominican republic.

Now the flight attendant prepares the cabin

For the shock of a lifetime.

- [robert] she's referring to a passenger

Who just told the crowded plane

That he has the potentially fatal ebola virus.

- [robert] the flight crew

Had alerted local health officials

Who've come on board,

Unsure whether the man was joking or not.

These were the early days of the ebola pandemic

And no one was ready to laugh off a possible threat.

- [robert] the hazmat suited team find the man

At the rear of the plane.

- [robert] some in the crowd express their concerns.

- [robert] begrudgingly, the potential patient zero

Walks off without incident.

- [woman 3] boo.

- [robert] but, in an abundance of caution,

Passengers were held in their seats on the runway

For two more hours

Until it was confirmed the man wasn't infected.

- At a boarding gate

Inside the dallas fort worth international airport

An argument is brewing at the check-in line.

A visibly intoxicated traveler

Is taunting an older gentleman

Who is recording the aggressive man with his phone.

- [robert] andrew kennedy was there.

- When he was yelling at the crowd,

I was actually trying to blend in a little bit,

'cause I didn't want him to notice me filming him.

'cause I thought he might come on me.

- [robert] now he's fired up and ready for a fight.

- [man 1] I put it on the line.

- [man 2] what are you upset about?

- (beep) is what I'm upset about.

This (beep) right here.

This photographer, this- taking a picture of me.

Shove it up your ass, man!

And see how that feels.

You might get tickled, brother, yeah.

(beep)

(people yell)

(beep)

- They hit the floor and there was an audible gasp

Of people behind me.

And there were probably another hundred people or so

Watching what was going on.

And I think it stunned everyone.

- [robert] the huddle of people tackling the violent man

Includes a police officer and five civilians.

(ankle crunches)

That audible crunch, that's this good samaritan's ankle

Being crushed under the weight of the pack.

(ankle crunches)

- I punched him square in the (beep) mouth, is what I did.

- [woman] he started it, we saw him

- Let me tell you reason why I did it, 'cause america,

That's why.

- It's obvious if you rewind and you watch it again,

It was a clear miss,

But he thought he landed his punch square in the mouth.

- What do you think I am, a bitch?

- [robert] even while airport staffers offer help

To the injured man,

The face down, handcuffed and hammered brawler

Is still making threats.

- [woman] , sir, we'll call the paramedics for you.

- [man 3] okay, thank you. Yeah.

- I've never seen anything like this in my lifetime.

In this day and age, you just don't do that kind of stuff.

- Yeah, I hear ya, I see ya.

- [officer] chill out.

(beep)

Okay.

- [robert] the man was found guilty of public intoxication

And simple assault.

(airplane engine revs)

We hear it all the time in airports,

"don't leave your bags unattended."

As you're about to see, there's a reason.

At cleveland's hopkins international airport,

A passenger was heading to board his flight,

When mother nature called.

Moments later, his bag is not at his seat.

- [officer] you say your id's in there also?

- [robert] think about it, your wallet, passport,

Expensive electronics, everything you need, gone.

- [officer] what time's your flight?

- Seven.

- [officer] seven?

- Let me just double check over here.

- [robert] the officer links up with airport security

To check security footage of the area

And is able to identify and track the alleged thief

To a particular flight,

Which is at a gate and ready for departure.

- [robert] the officer makes his way aboard the aircraft

Only to find out that the suspect,

- [officer] what's your name? Let me see your id.

- [robert] is a flight attendant.

- [officer] what happened?

- [man] well sir, I saw an unattended bag

And I was going to present it to the gate agent

When we was done boarding because it was unatt-

- [officer] so you were going to take an unattended bag

That you don't know what's in it,

And you're going to take it onto a plane

That's going somewhere with all these people in it?

- [officer] no, sir. I did check the bag.

- [robert] the flight attendant is detained

While the officer brings the stolen bag back to its owner.

- [officer] why don't you go through here

And check and see what's missing.

If there's anything that's-

- [deron] stolen? Okay.

- [robert] reportedly, the flight attendant

Wasn't arrested,

But was fired shortly after the incident.

- [officer] hey, sure, man.

(man laughs)

(airplane engine revs)

(gentle music)

- When things are beyond a pilot's control in midair

An emergency landing becomes a very real possibility.

Setting down anywhere but a runway is risky business.

But these fast acting pilots

Had to make wise, yet dangerous choices.

It's 6:46 pm in san leandro, california.

And this dash cam captures a typical drive

Along interstate 580 until-

- [man and woman] oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.

- [woman] oh my gosh, oh my gosh.

- [man] I told you that guy was low.

- [woman] oh my gosh.

- [robert] the single engine cessna

Snapped a fuel line and needs to touch down asap,

Even in heavy traffic.

- [woman and man] oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.

- [woman] making an emergency-

Oh my gosh.

Oh my gosh.

Oh, back up people.

Hello?

There's a plane in front of you, you idiots.

What are you doing?

- [robert] landings like that one

Aren't as rare as you think.

This video catches an emergency interstate landing

In el cajon, california.

- [woman] holy (beep).

What the (beep)?

- [robert] with a faulty engine,

The piper aircraft narrowly misses these power lines.

- [woman] holy (beep).

- [man] and he's got it under control.

- [robert] and makes a perfect landing.

- [woman] that is the craziest (beep) thing I've ever seen.

- [man] he pulled it off, perfect.

(woman laughs)

- [man] look at this, bubba,

There's an airplane on the freeway.

(gentle music)

(upbeat music)

- [robert] and this video shows a plane

That has made an emergency landing on the interstate

In talladega county, alabama.

- [woman] oh gosh.

- [man] are they okay?

- [woman] why is the plane not getting off on the inter-

Like why-

- [man] I think he's trying to.

- [woman] okay, he's pulling over.

Let's pull over and make sure everybody's okay.

- [robert] a student pilot exits the craft

After experiencing engine failure

And now has another emergency.

- [robert] miraculously, these impromptu highway landings

Didn't cause a single injury to the pilots or the motorists.

- [man] this is (beep) gnarly!

(airplane engine revs)

- [robert] this next set of clips

Shows that when animals want to fly,

Airlines may or may not be very accommodating.

(guitar music)

Service animals, mainly trained dogs,

Have flown at the feet of their owners since 2008.

But lately, other members of the animal kingdom

Have been showing up at the boarding gate.

(gentle music)

Meet dexter, the peacock.

(peacock caws)

He's perched and ready to take flight

Out of newark international airport in new jersey

Until united officials say this breed

Of emotional support animal is on their no fly list.

(peacock caws)

The next member of our airport menagerie is leeloo,

The world's first certified airport therapy pig

Who made his debut in san francisco in 2016.

As part of that city's animal assisted therapy program,

The six-year-old swine volunteers

At the bay area's busiest airport.

There, he snorts around with travelers

Who are nervous or afraid to fly

While sporting some pink nail polish.

And this is rocky, the parrot.

- [woman] oh my lord.

(parrot whistles)

- I know.

- [robert] you can really tell he loves his owner

Because he could fly without her.

(parrot whistles)

Know before you go,

Airlines require service animals to be harnessed and leashed

At all times.

And they don't allow emotional support animals in the cabin.

That's all for this episode, but before our departure,

It's time for the short flight of the week.

- [pilot] alright, all you.

Key, then talk away.

- This is your captain speaking,

We have service to charleston...

- [robert] you know that saying, "dress for the job you want?'

- Make sure to keep you seat belts buckled

Through the whole flight, thank you.

- [robert] this junior pilot is in uniform

And cleared for takeoff.

(airplane engine hums)

(bell dings)