Senate honors man for subduing ‘erratic’ airline passenger

Senators honored a man who subdued an erratic airline passenger, a “heroic” act that the Senate said “saved” the plane, crew and passengers from serious threat or harm “and possibly loss of their lives.”

The Senate adopted a resolution honoring Mark A. Tlumacki “for his bravery and act of heroism” while aboard a United Airlines flight 184 from Manila, Philippines to Guam on May 11, 2014.

Tlumacki is currently a transportation security specialist with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration Office of Global Strategies. This TSA office is tasked with global compliance and international affairs.

According to Senate Resolution 18-38, sponsored by the full Senate, Tlumacki was on an airplane from Manila to Honolulu via Guam on United Airlines flight 184 on May 11 when, just before takeoff, one of the passengers became agitated and stood up from his seat.

The passenger, who was from Malaysia, was repeatedly told by a flight attendant to return to his seat and fasten his seatbelt, to no avail. The passenger ran toward the front of the plane yelling, “I can’t sit down, I can’t sit down.” It appeared that passenger was having an anxiety or panic attack, the Senate resolution reads.

“Rather than protecting himself at his seat, Mark A. Tlumacki took matters into his own hand and attempted to subdue the belligerent passenger,” the Senate said.

The Senate said Tlumacki, along with another passenger named Major Selmer Santos of the U.S. Army Pacific USA RPAC, used a little force to seize the belligerent passenger and bring him to his seat where he was restrained.

Senators said after restraining and failing to calm down the erratic passenger for about one hour, the pilot determined that the passenger was a threat to the plane and the other passengers so the pilot turned the plane back to Manila.

During the flight back to Manila, Tlumacki sat with the aggravated passenger and continued to calm him down, senators said.

Senators said Tlumacki’s “selfless and heroic act on flight 184 saved the plane, crew and passengers from serious threat or harm, and possibly even the loss of their lives including Senator Victor Hocog who was also on the plane and witnessed the ordeal.”

“Mark A. Tlumacki’s quick thinking and swift action prevented what could have been a catastrophic event for the crew, passengers and their families,” senators said.

The Senate added that Tlumacki’s bravery and heroism “is something that all patriotic citizens should aspire to do during times of emergency crisis.”