Giants’ Fans Are Removed From Plane
A loud protest when inflight liquor sales were cut off caused a pilot headed for John Wayne Airport to make an unscheduled stop to remove 37 unruly New York Giants boosters, authorities said Friday.
The group was kicked off the plane after the pilot landed in Las Vegas Thursday. FBI agents arrested one man who allegedly threatened to strike a flight attendant unless more liquor was served.
Northwest Airlines spokesman Bob Gibbons said the group, called Farrell’s Sports Club of Brooklyn, was traveling to Orange County to attend Sunday’s Giants-Rams game at Anaheim Stadium.
Gibbons said the flight made a scheduled stop in Minneapolis Thursday morning, but as the pilot was taxiing for takeoff, the group became so rowdy that that he stopped the plane and walked back into the cabin to warn them to behave.
“They said yes,” Gibbons said. “(But) the promise didn’t last.”
According to Gibbons, the fans became so raucous that harried flight attendants were ordered to stop selling alcohol.
Over Grand Junction, Colo., one member of the group reportedly became particularly upset over the decision. “He told one flight attendant that he planned on punching his face in if he didn’t serve any more drinks,” Gibbons said.
The flight, which was due to arrive in Orange County at 1:36 p.m., landed with the remaining 105 passengers at John Wayne Airport at 3:07.
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