Violent United Airlines Passenger Demanded "Where are the Mormons!?"

[Pyreaux]

https://liveandletsfly.com/united-airlines-mormon/

United Airlines flight UA1484 took off from San Francisco (SFO) for Chicago (ORD). But shortly into the flight, a man began acting strangely. He got up frequently and walked to the front of the aircraft. He got in the face of flight attendants. They argued. He raised his voice. He also demanded to know where the Mormons were onboard. Then was a big physical altercation with several passengers who had to rush out of their seats to help the crew pin down this person and get him restrained. He was pinned down by 4 people, captain announced we’re diverting to Denver.

Passengers presume he wasn't a Mormon himself because he seemed drunk. Since he wanted to find any Mormon, but no one in particular, some people seem to wonder if it's Anti-Mormon media, like in the news, triggering incidents like this.

[InCognitus]

2 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

United Airlines flight UA1484 took off from San Francisco (SFO) for Chicago (ORD). But shortly into the flight, a man began acting strangely. He got up frequently and walked to the front of the aircraft. He got in the face of flight attendants. They argued. He raised his voice. He also demanded to know where the Mormons were onboard. Then was a big physical altercation with several passengers who had to rush out of their seats to help the crew pin down this person and get him restrained. He was pinned down by 4 people, captain announced we’re diverting to Denver.

Passengers presume he wasn't a Mormon himself because he seemed drunk. Since he wanted to find any Mormon, but no one in particular, some people seem to wonder if it's Anti-Mormon media, like in the news, triggering incidents like this.

The flight should have diverted to Salt Lake City instead of Denver, and announce to everyone in the terminal what he had done upon his arrival.  That would show him.

[Calm]

He was obviously looking for missionaries to take the discussions.

[rpn]

Truly strange that no one thought to ask him what he wanted Mormons for?    If some understood that resolving or de-escalating would have likely been possible.

 

(And why would anyone divert to a place that would agitate someone more?  (Though the other poster might not have been serious.))  The actual reason of course is that Denver is a United hub and SLC is a Delta Hub.  And it was a United flight.

[InCognitus]

1 hour ago, rpn said:

(And why would anyone divert to a place that would agitate someone more?  (Though the other poster might not have been serious.))

It was a joke. 

But if someone would have asked him why he wanted the Mormons (as you suggested) then maybe he would have said he was interested in learning more about the church, in which case landing in Salt Lake City wouldn't have agitated him more.

[Tacenda]

8 hours ago, InCognitus said:

It was a joke. 

But if someone would have asked him why he wanted the Mormons (as you suggested) then maybe he would have said he was interested in learning more about the church, in which case landing in Salt Lake City wouldn't have agitated him more.

Or a Priesthood Blessing, and I'm not being sarcastic. It would help, if people communicate a little or a lot better nowadays. And examples such as the shooting of the autistic young man in Pocatello Idaho is one. That man on the plane may have been mentally ill or suffering from something traumatic in his life and had a moment of insanity. Or a moment of severe need for something to help.

[Calm]

21 hours ago, rpn said:

Truly strange that no one thought to ask him what he wanted Mormons for?    If some understood that resolving or de-escalating would have likely been possible.

 

(And why would anyone divert to a place that would agitate someone more?  (Though the other poster might not have been serious.))  The actual reason of course is that Denver is a United hub and SLC is a Delta Hub.  And it was a United flight.

I wouldn’t be surprised if someone did ask him given the other accounts I read, but he was either unable to respond or was too antagonistic to do so.  He was likely drunk and it sounds to me like he wasn’t capable of having a coherent conversation.  It sounded to me as if crew members were trying to de-escalate the situation when one got attacked since the takedown didn’t happen immediately as he apparently tried to get to the front of the plane several times and it was only close to the end before he got violent that he started yelling about Mormons.

This happened in February, but I didn’t see any further information provided.

There were several passengers that helped subdue him when he try to assault the crew member.  They should get their flight for free as a thank you for resolving the issue, imo.  Especially given the delays it caused.

Added:  This is the Reddit thread below that apparently shared the two firsthand passenger accounts that were later confirmed (at least to the extent a disturbance happened and LEOs were called) by PYOK here:  https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2025/02/10/united-airlines-flight-makes-emergency-diversion-to-denver-after-unruly-passenger-tries-to-tackle-flight-attendant-while-shouting-about-mormons/ According to it, it wasn’t just “where are the Mormons?”  It was “where are the #&$! Mormons?”  So I am thinking he wasn’t in a mood for much conversation with the crew member.

Someone suggested it was likely a combo of Ambien, alcohol, and anxiety.  Ambien is great when it works, but dangerous when abused and sometimes even when it isn’t (I remember stories shared in my sleep disorder group of one person coming downstairs and finding all the knives in the kitchen on the counter in the morning with no memory of doing it; my mom went into my brother and his wife’s bedroom when she was living with them and was just chatting with them and then started taking her clothes off…which ended the chat quickly; all it’s done for me is make the letters come off the page and start line dancing, but then I have never tried it with alcohol).

https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedairlines/comments/1im1wqz/passenger_had_to_be_restrained_midflight_plane/

 

Edited April 19 by Calm

[Kenngo1969]

23 hours ago, Calm said:

He was obviously looking for missionaries to take the discussions.

He needs 'em, that's for sure!