A mid-air fork attack on a Lufthansa flight from Chicago to Frankfurt has led to the U-turn of the plane, forcing it to land in Boston.
On Saturday, a passenger allegedly attacked two teenagers with a metal fork during the meal service. The crew then tried to subdue him, but he slapped another passenger. One of the teens suffered a cut to the back of his head.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) allows forks in carry-on bags on commercial flights, but utensils with a sharpened edge or a pointed tip that could be used as a stabbing tool may be confiscated.
Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, a 28-year-old Indian national, has been charged with "assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm" aboard an aircraft under US jurisdiction. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
Unruly behavior on flights has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, there were nearly 6,000 cases of unruly passengers - six times the number reported in the previous year. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued nearly $21 million in fines to unruly passengers between 2020 and 2024.
The worst year was 2021, when the FAA reported nearly 6,000 cases of unruly behavior on flights. This is more than double the pre-pandemic levels. So far in 2025, the FAA has reported about 1,200 incidents of unruly passenger behavior.
A recent incident on a Chicago-bound American Airlines plane forced it to turn back to Connecticut after a passenger attempted to drag a flight attendant down the aisle. In early October, a United Airlines passenger tried to open the exit door after landing in Houston, triggering the emergency slide.
On Saturday, a passenger allegedly attacked two teenagers with a metal fork during the meal service. The crew then tried to subdue him, but he slapped another passenger. One of the teens suffered a cut to the back of his head.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) allows forks in carry-on bags on commercial flights, but utensils with a sharpened edge or a pointed tip that could be used as a stabbing tool may be confiscated.
Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, a 28-year-old Indian national, has been charged with "assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm" aboard an aircraft under US jurisdiction. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
Unruly behavior on flights has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, there were nearly 6,000 cases of unruly passengers - six times the number reported in the previous year. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued nearly $21 million in fines to unruly passengers between 2020 and 2024.
The worst year was 2021, when the FAA reported nearly 6,000 cases of unruly behavior on flights. This is more than double the pre-pandemic levels. So far in 2025, the FAA has reported about 1,200 incidents of unruly passenger behavior.
A recent incident on a Chicago-bound American Airlines plane forced it to turn back to Connecticut after a passenger attempted to drag a flight attendant down the aisle. In early October, a United Airlines passenger tried to open the exit door after landing in Houston, triggering the emergency slide.
Oh man, this is crazy! A fork attack on a plane?! I don't get it. Wasn't he just trying to eat his dinner? 
I'm so sorry about that one kid who got hurt tho... a cut to the head from a fork is super scary 
. And now this guy's gonna be in trouble, 10 years in prison? That seems kinda harsh. I mean, I get it, safety first and all that, but like what was he thinking?! 
Did anyone else see anything suspicious before it happened? Like, was there someone around him who could've stopped it or something? 
The TSA's lenient approach to utensils on flights is a slippery slope. I mean, what's next? Allowing sharp objects or even knives on planes? It's like they're saying, "Hey, if it's not sharp, it's okay!" 
But seriously, if we can't regulate carry-on items, how are we going to keep our skies safe? It's a classic case of "too little, too late" with the FAA. They need to step up their game and issue stricter fines for unruly passengers. I mean, $21 million in fines is just a drop in the bucket compared to the potential damage these incidents can cause. We need more accountability, not less! 
. Like I'm sure the TSA should've checked that fork for safety before letting it on the plane, but still... what's with all these incidents on flights lately?! 
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and like, can't they just calm down or something? 
this guy Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli is getting charged with up to 10 years in prison if he gets convicted... that's insane! 
and it's not like he's the first one... there are so many cases of unruly passengers on flights lately 
anyway, at least the plane turned around and landed in Boston instead of Frankfurt... that would've been super scary! 
It's just crazy to think about how many people are getting on planes with attitude. Like, what even is the point of having a TSA if they can't keep an eye out for this stuff? 
! In 2021, there were almost 6k cases of unruly passengers 
. Now, it's not just about the money, it's about safety too 
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. I mean, who tries to stab someone with a fork mid-flight? That's just basic common sense... or should I say, lack thereof 
. But seriously, have you seen the prices of flights lately? $250k fine is no joke 
. I mean, who didn't get a little stir-crazy during all that lockdown business 
It's one thing to be a little carried away during meal service, but seriously, assault? That's a whole different level. And yeah, TSA is all like "oh, it's okay, forks are fine, just don't stab anyone"... 
and those poor teens 
what was going through his mind? I mean, we all have bad days but dragging a flight attendant down the aisle or opening an exit door mid-flight? that's just crazy talk 
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