Law enforcement meets United flight in Tampa following alleged physical assault on flight attendant

TAMPA, Fla. — Law enforcement officers were called to meet a Tampa-bound commercial flight on Wednesday evening after a passenger allegedly struck a male flight attendant mid-flight, according to operational reports.

United Airlines Flight UA2777 was en route from Newark Liberty International Airport to Tampa International Airport on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, when an in-flight disturbance occurred. Cockpit radio reports indicate that a passenger seated in 26C physically assaulted a male crew member by striking him in the arm.

Following the incident, the flight crew contacted air traffic control and airport operations to request local police presence at the gate upon landing.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered as N17264, touched down on Runway 01L at Tampa International Airport at 6:00 PM EDT after a flight time of two hours and 25 minutes. The plane then taxied to Gate A6, where law enforcement personnel were standing by to intervene and address the passenger involved.

Physical interference or assault directed at flight crew members constitutes a violation of federal law under 49 U.S.C. § 46504, which carries potential federal prosecution alongside civil penalties levied by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

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