American Airlines Flight Forced to Turn Around After Aggressive Passenger Charges at Flight Attendant Over Meal Mix-Up

An American Airlines flight traveling from New York to Milan was forced to turn around after an aggressive passenger charged at a flight attendant toward the cockpit over a meal mix-up.

The flight took off from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) around 7 p.m. ET Monday but turned around about four hours later after a passenger became unruly.

The passenger was initially denied an exit row because he was with a baby. He was then served the wrong meal, "and apparently those two things are what pushed the person over the edge," Krystie Tomlinson, a flight passenger, told CBS News.

The passenger then charged at the flight attendants and attempted to break into the cockpit, Tomlinson added, forcing the pilot to announce the plane's return to New York.

"Oftentimes, these are mental health issues. We don't know all the things that the pilot knows. Maybe the pilot felt, given the circumstances of disruption and the safety of other passengers, it was best to go back," Robert Clifford, an aviation trial attorney, told CBS News.

The plane landed at JFK around 3 a.m. Tuesday. However, passengers said they were not offered any accommodation, including a breastfeeding mother who asked to use the American Airlines lounge.

"They said you can go in if you pay $79," Tomlinson stated.

The passengers slept in the airport overnight and their rebooked flight took off around 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to CBS News. The man was detained but released without criminal charges.