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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, January 8, 2010

Hawaiian Air flight diverted because of passenger disturbance


Advertiser Staff

A Hawaiian Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Honolulu was diverted to Los Angeles early this morning after a passenger disturbance, the Transportation Security Agency said today.

Flight 17 was diverted after two passengers, a man and a woman, became involved in what a TSA spokesman called a “situation.”
In a statement, Hawaiian Airlines said the incident involved “a woman being harassed by a male passenger on board.
“Law enforcement officials met the flight on arrival and interviewed the parties,” the statement said. “The male passenger was removed from the flight and the flight resumed to Honolulu an hour and 10 minutes later.”
Flight 17 passengers arriving in Honolulu this morning said the plane was already over the Pacific Ocean when the pilot announced that they would be landing in Los Angeles.
Some said a flight attendant told passengers that a sex assault had taken place aboard the plane.
Other passengers said they didn’t have a clue about what was going on.
Passengers said they remained on the plane and were given food and drinks while they waited for the flight to resume.
Flight 17 touched down in Honolulu at 10:04 a.m. It originally was scheduled to land at 6:55 a.m.