Feds: 'Drunk, Unruly' Passenger Attempted To Grope Women Aboard US Air Flight
By Jenn Bernstein, Jim Melwert
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It was a long delay for some passengers on-board an overnight US Air flight to London.
US Air flight 728 was already a half-hour late when it took off Tuesday night, heading from Philadelphia to London's Heathrow Airport, but that 30 minute delay was nothing compared to what passengers were about to face.
The plane took off around 10:20 p.m., but just over an hour into the flight, passengers were told they were turning around due to an unruly passenger, who authorities say was drunk and attempting to grope women on the plane.
The plane got back to Philadelphia shortly after midnight, but it was too heavy to land, so it had to circle to burn fuel. It finally landed a little after 1 a.m.
The passenger was taken off the plane and into custody by federal authorities. On Wednesday, police identified the suspect as Robert John Coppack. In an affidavit, Coppack is said to have been "verbally agressive" in addition to inappropriately touching several female passengers.
US Airways released the following statement regarding the incident:
"The passenger was restrained onboard by federal officials and removed from the flight on return to Philadelphia."
The plane did finally take off again just before 3 a.m., four hours after its original departure time.