A plane had to be diverted after two passengers started fighting over a device that stops seats from reclining.
The row started on United Airlines flight 1462 from Newark to Denver on Sunday after one passenger used the so-called Knee Defender - a $21.95 device that attaches to the tray table in front and stops the reclining mechanism of the seat.
The male passenger, 48, who was sat in the middle seat of row 12, used the lock to stop a woman, also 48, from reclining while he was using his laptop, a law enforcement official said.
Both were seated in the “economy plus” section - which provides passengers with four extra inches of legroom.
When a flight attendant asked him to remove the device, which is banned by United Airlines and some other firms, the passenger refused. The woman then stood up and threw a glass of water on him, according to sources.
Due to the dispute, the airline decided to divert the plane to Chicago’s O’Hare international airport. Police and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers met the flight, spoke to the two passengers involved and “deemed it a customer service issue,” TSA spokesman Ross Feinstein said. Neither passenger was arrested.
Eventually, the plane then continued to Denver without them, arriving an hour and 38 minutes late.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, use of the Knee Defender is up to the individual airline. United Airlines prohibits its use.
