International United Airlines Flight Diverted After Unforeseen Passenger Calamity

Person walking down empty airplane aisle

A United Airlines passenger faces a $10,000 fine after urinating in his seat and across the aisle during a flight, leading to an emergency diversion and significant disruption.

At a Glance

  • Zachary Greear, 34, was fined $10,000 for unruly behavior on a United Airlines flight
  • The incident occurred after Greear consumed alcohol mixed with Xanax
  • The flight from Amsterdam to Newark was diverted to Dublin, resulting in a $30,000 fuel dump
  • Greear pleaded guilty to several offenses under Ireland’s Air Navigation and Transport Act
  • The incident highlights ongoing concerns about alcohol consumption on flights

Disruptive Behavior Forces Flight Diversion

A United Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Newark faced an unexpected detour when passenger Zachary Greear’s behavior became severely disruptive. Greear, a 34-year-old American climate analyst, consumed a dangerous mixture of alcohol and Xanax during the flight. His actions escalated to the point where he urinated in his seat and across the aisle, disturbing fellow passengers and forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Dublin.

Upon arrival in Dublin, Irish police found Greear in a state of extreme intoxication. Officials reported that he “couldn’t understand where he was.” The incident resulted in a significant disruption to the flight schedule and a costly fuel dump.

Legal Consequences and Passenger’s Remorse

Greear faced swift legal action for his behavior. He pleaded guilty to intoxication, threatening behavior, and causing annoyance on an aircraft under Ireland’s Air Navigation and Transport Act. In Dublin district court, Greear expressed deep regret for his actions.

“Can you imagine the fear and trauma he caused to a pilot who is trying to manage people safely on his aircraft, to passengers, to employees of the airline who have to dump fuel and turn around a flight and land in a jurisdiction they never expected to be in?” Judge Michéle Finan asked during the proceedings.

The court ordered Greear to pay a fine of 10,000 euros (approximately $10,308) to cover damages to United Airlines. Despite the severity of his actions, the judge took into account Greear’s clean criminal record, his apology, and his commitment to donate $5,000 to charity.

Broader Implications for Airline Safety

This incident has reignited discussions about alcohol consumption on flights and in airports. Ryanair, another major airline, has called for limits on drinks served at airport bars, highlighting the dangers “when disruptive passengers threaten aircraft safety and force them to divert.”

Currently, there is no federal law limiting the number of drinks served to passengers in the air. However, crew members are prohibited from serving alcohol to visibly intoxicated individuals. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of mixing prescription medications with alcohol, especially in the confined space of an aircraft.

Sources:

  1. https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/united-bans-man-flight-urinates-on-passenger
  2. https://local12.com/news/nation-world/united-flight-71-xanax-slapped-10000-fine-urinating-midflight-after-drinking-cocktail-infused-anti-anxiety-medication-alprazolam-significant-risk-recreational-mix-cincinnati-investigation-travel-issues
  3. https://nypost.com/2025/01/14/world-news/united-passenger-gets-10k-fine-for-urinating-in-seat-mid-flight/