Flight Attendant Freaks Out Passengers, Is Detained

Details are still sketchy, but something seriously weird and unpleasant happened aboard an American Airlines flight set to take off from Dallas to Chicago today. Early accounts suggest that one of the flight attendants got on the PA system and began ranting about how the plane was going to crash and about the company's financial troubles, report the Chicago Tribune and Dallas Morning News.

At that point, several passengers apparently subdued her. Two other flight attendants suffered injuries in the melee, and the plane returned to the gate. The airline has confirmed that an "incident occurred involving some of the cabin crew" and said it is still investigating, as is the FAA. The Dallas newspaper quotes an email from a passenger to a friend: "The flight attendant went crazy, screaming about 9-11 and crashing. Six men held her down." (More American Airlines stories.)