A Delta flight carrying roughly 200 passengers was delayed for more than an hour after a woman allegedly refused to end a phone call while the plane was taxiing and repeatedly ignored demands to leave the aircraft.
The confrontation escalated to the point that every passenger aboard the Miami-to-Atlanta flight was forced to deboard before deputies arrested the woman at the gate.
Authorities identified the passenger as Shannon Marie Harris, 46, of Tyrone, Georgia.
According to Delta officials and an arrest report reviewed by WSBTV, Harris was still talking on her phone as Delta Flight 1323 prepared for takeoff from Miami International Airport on April 27.
Flight attendants allegedly asked her multiple times to end the call, but officials said she refused and became increasingly “belligerent” with crew members.
The pilot ended up ordering the aircraft back to the gate so Harris could be removed.
A Delta supervisor boarded the plane and asked Harris to leave, but she allegedly remained in her seat. Police were then called to the aircraft.
Video recorded by another passenger captured the tense scene as a deputy entered the cabin and attempted to persuade Harris to get off the plane.
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Passengers could be heard groaning and complaining as the standoff dragged on.
One traveler seated near Harris tried appealing to her directly.
“There’s over 100 plus people,” the man said. “They’re catching flights. They’re going to see their families, their kids.”
Another passenger pleaded, “Please be considerate. Please be considerate. Consider yourself and the rest of us.”
As frustration spread through the cabin, travelers began chanting, “Get off the plane.”
When deputies finally arrived, some passengers applauded.
The situation deteriorated even further after the captain announced the entire flight would have to deboard because Harris still refused to leave voluntarily.
“So we’re all supposed to listen and [she] doesn’t?” one man shouted after the announcement.
Flight attendants repeatedly instructed travelers to “remain calm” as the packed aircraft emptied.
Harris eventually exited the plane alongside the other passengers and was taken into custody at the gate.
She now faces at least one misdemeanor trespassing charge. Records reviewed by WSBTV show Harris later posted a $500 bond and was scheduled to appear in court May 15.
The flight ultimately departed about an hour behind schedule.
The Delta disruption was only one of several bizarre airline incidents that recently erupted into delays, confrontations, and police responses.
In another case, a Southwest Airlines flight was delayed for nearly an hour because of a four-foot-tall robot named Bebop.
Flight 1568 was preparing to depart from San Francisco International Airport for San Diego when the unusual passenger created confusion for the crew.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the pilot informed travelers over the intercom that an “unusual passenger” had caused the delay.
The robot, which belonged to a Dallas company called Elite Event Robotics, had reportedly been purchased its own airline ticket.
Its owner, Eily Ben-Abraham, told the newspaper the company decided “the next best thing to do was buy it a ticket.”
But the arrangement created problems almost immediately.
Crew members initially became concerned after the robot was seated in an aisle seat, which violated airline policy involving oversized carry-on items.
After Bebop was moved to a window seat, employees then raised concerns about the robot’s lithium battery.
Southwest later confirmed the battery exceeded the maximum allowable size.
“The device’s lithium battery exceeded the maximum allowable size, so the customer was asked to remove it,” Southwest spokesperson Lynn Lunsford said.
“We appreciate the professionalism of our flight crew in addressing this situation.”
The robot had reportedly traveled from Texas to California without problems before the return trip triggered the dispute.
Another airline disturbance turned violent aboard a British Airways flight after a passenger accused of vaping what flight attendants believed smelled like marijuana became increasingly aggressive during landing.
Louis Gaston, 31, was convicted Wednesday after prosecutors said he assaulted an American couple while trying to force his way through the cabin after the plane landed in London.
The incident happened aboard a transatlantic flight arriving from New York on Nov. 23, 2025.
Court proceedings revealed Gaston had allegedly been vaping in the airplane bathroom shortly before landing.
A flight attendant testified she knocked on the restroom door after Gaston left his seat while the aircraft was descending.
When he opened the door, she reported smelling cannabis and seeing what she described as a “mist” inside.
Gaston denied vaping marijuana and claimed the odor came from air freshener.
Flight attendants disagreed.
According to testimony presented in Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court, Gaston ignored repeated instructions to sit down and fasten his seatbelt.
At one point, another passenger reportedly buckled the seatbelt for him after he refused to cooperate.
The confrontation escalated again after the plane landed.
Prosecutors said Gaston became angry while attempting to retrieve his luggage and started shoving through a crowded aisle.
Laurel Dillon and her husband Zachary Lowry, who were seated nearby, asked him to wait because there was no room to move.
Instead, Gaston allegedly forced his way past them several times.
Court testimony said the final shove sent Dillon hard into her seat, leaving bruises on her arm and hip.
Dillon later described the encounter during emotional testimony delivered through video from the United States.
“He was attempting to push past me and I turned and said there is nowhere to move,” she testified.
She also claimed Gaston threatened the couple.
“You don’t want to see me off this plane,” Gaston allegedly warned.
“You are so lucky we are in here right now.”
Lowry testified the confrontation left him feeling “uncomfortable, embarrassed and frustrated.”
Gaston argued Lowry had attempted to block him from reaching his seat.
The court rejected his defense. Gaston was convicted of assault, smoking aboard an aircraft, and failing to obey lawful instructions from the pilot.
