[Phillippe M]

Passengers in plane fist fight
MATT CUNNINGHAM - October 28th, 2008

A TERRITORY-bound plane had to turn around mid-flight after two rowdy passengers got into a fist fight and one of them pretended he was carrying a bomb.

The Virgin Blue flight from Brisbane to Darwin had to be cancelled after two passengers caused a disruption shortly after boarding, witnesses said.

They said the men had been drinking and began fighting before one of the men started running down the aisle screaming: "I've got a bomb." The flight had to be stopped and the plane flown back to Brisbane. The cabin crew were said to have been traumatised by the incident.

Australian Federal Police officers were called to Brisbane airport where they arrested a 54-year-old man.

He was taken to the Brisbane city watch house where he was charged with making threats to aviation security, and offensive and disorderly behaviour in an aircraft.

The man appeared in a Brisbane magistrates court on Friday where he was bailed to reappear on November 21.

Passengers on board Virgin Blue flight 449 to Darwin last Thursday evening were put up in hotels for the night and flown to Darwin the next day.

Many passengers were inconvenienced by the flight's cancellation, including the mother of a Darwin Digger.

Gunner Nathan Wallace's Brisbane-based mother had planned to get into Darwin just before her son arrived home from a 12-month tour of duty including five months in Afghanistan.

But she missed her son's homecoming after being stuck in Brisbane.

Virgin Blue did not respond to requests for comment.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/200...21_ntnews.html