L.A.-to-Atlanta Flight Diverted After Scuffle

A passenger roaming the aisle on a Los Angeles-to-Atlanta flight turned violent when asked to return to his seat, injuring four people and forcing the plane to land here Saturday, officials said.

Hung Cong Duong, 30, a Tampa, Fla., resident who is originally from Vietnam, was arrested on suspicion of interfering with a flight crew, said FBI spokesman Kevin Caudle. Duong could face assault and other charges, Caudle said.

The man’s brother told FBI agents that Duong became unruly because he hadn’t taken his medication. Caudle didn’t know what kind of medication the brother referred to.

“The individual who had the altercation was up and moving around when he wasn’t supposed to be and they tried to seat him. He tried to get past the beverage cart and just got violent,” said airport spokesman John Hanks.

Among the injured on Delta Flight 194 was an infant who suffered minor burns when hot coffee spilled on him. The 17-month-old boy was treated at University Medical Center and released, a hospital nursing supervisor said.

Also injured were a male flight attendant, a woman passenger and a teen-age girl. They were treated at the scene for minor cuts and bruises.

The flight departed from Los Angeles International Airport around 11:50 p.m. Friday and was headed to Atlanta when the incident occurred. The plane was diverted to McCarran International Airport, landing at 1:21 a.m. The plane departed for Atlanta more than three hours later.

The Boeing 767 was diverted to McCarran in part because it had a full load of fuel, making its braking distance longer than usual. McCarran’s marked runway, more than 15,000 feet long, is the second-longest civilian runway in the country.

A Delta spokesman did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.