Man allegedly bites flight attendant on US-bound plane, arrested at Tokyo airport

The flight returned to Tokyo after the alleged assault on the flight attendant. (Representational)

A flight from Tokyo, Japan bound for Seattle, US had to abruptly reverse course over the Pacific Ocean after a passenger's alleged assault on a cabin crew member. The incident, which led to the arrest of a 55-year-old American man, unfolded on Wednesday morning at Haneda Airport in Tokyo.

The All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner took off at 9:47 pm local time, only to make an unexpected U-turn at 10:50 pm, landing back at Haneda Airport by 12:23 am.

The passenger in question stands accused of biting a cabin crew member, prompting the captain to take action. The aftermath saw the unruly passenger restrained by vigilant crew members before being handed over to police.

Amidst the chaos, the man claimed innocence, stating that he had no recollection of the event due to the influence of a sleeping pill. Tokyo Police, ANA, and Haneda Airport have been approached for comments, but no responses have been received at the time of reporting.

This unsettling incident adds to a series of recent aviation mishaps in Japan, notably the fatal collision at Haneda Airport on January 2nd. In that tragedy, a Japan Airlines plane erupted into flames after colliding with a coastguard aircraft on the runway, resulting in five casualties.

Footage from within the engulfed Airbus-A350 revealed a harrowing scene, with passengers describing the impact as a sudden jerk and witnessing sparks outside their windows.

Just yesterday, another incident occurred at New Chitose Airport on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, involving a Korean Air Lines plane and a Cathay Pacific Airways aircraft coming into contact.