Delta flight makes Salt Lake City detour after passenger 'couldn't keep his pants on'

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A Delta Airlines flight from San Francisco to Atlanta diverted to Salt Lake City Tuesday morning after flight attendants reported a passenger "couldn't keep his pants on."

The man, later identified as Aaron Hanson, was unruly and assaulted flight attendants and possibly another passenger, a criminal complaint states.

Passengers on the flight reported Hanson was being "loud, disruptive, yelling obscenities, and not following flight attendants orders," the complaint reads.

A witness told police Hanson was "very drunk and high," and that they and others could easily smell it. Hanson at one point tried to get up to go to the bathroom, but kept falling and hit another passenger in the face, the complaint reads. The witness said they could not tell if it was done intentionally but that Hanson "hit her pretty hard."

A flight attendant told police a female passenger reported she was watching a movie when Hanson, trying to get up to go to the bathroom, fell and smacked her in the face, according to the complaint. The same flight attendant told police Hanson said he had to pee, and the flight attendant observed Hanson's pants were already halfway off. The flight attendant reported trying to get Hanson to pull his pants back up, and that he "couldn't keep his pants on." The flight attendant told police he had to put Hanson's pants on for him.

Eventually, an off-duty police officer assisted flight attendants with restraining Hanson. The officer reported Hanson threatened to kick him, punch him and urinate on him throughout the process but that the officer maintained control of Hanson until the plane landed in Salt Lake City.

A Delta spokesperson released the following statement:

“Delta flight 2986, operating from San Francisco to Atlanta, diverted to Salt Lake City after a customer became disruptive on board. The flight was met by law enforcement in Salt Lake City, and the customer was removed before the flight continued on to Atlanta. The safety and security of our customers and crew are always Delta’s top priority.”

Hanson was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail.