A man trying to fly from Australia to the United States is now finding himself in a Tahiti jail cell, with a permanent ban on Australia’s flag carrier…
In this post:
Man causes Qantas flight diversion, and it’s caught on tape
This incident happened on Friday, May 15, 2026, and involves Qantas flight QF21 from Melbourne (MEL) to Dallas (DFW), operated by a Boeing 787-9. The nearly 9,000-mile journey is among the longest out there, and even with a strong tailwind, it typically takes 15 hours eastbound.
However, this recent flight took a lot longer, as the plane ended up diverting to Papeete, Tahiti (PPT), roughly seven hours after it first departed. The plane then spent roughly an hour on the ground there, before continuing the journey to Dallas, where it landed just under nine hours later.
In the end, the plane landed in Dallas just around three hours after the scheduled arrival time, which isn’t bad, when you consider the initial departure out of Melbourne was nearly two hours behind schedule.
Diversions happen all the time, so here’s what makes this interesting. ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System) is what crews typically use to communicate with their operations team, and here’s one of the messages that was sent from the operations team to the crew:
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND ASSISTANCE IN MANAGING THE DIVERSION. WHEN YOU HAVE A MOMENT COULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE THE STAFF NUMBER OF THE CREW MEMBER WHO WAS BITTEN AS WELL AS SEAT NUMBERS FOR ANY PASSENGERS WHO ASSISTED THE CREW WITH THE DISRUPTIVE PASSENGER.
A crew member was bitten?! Oh my…
While I haven’t seen video footage of the actual bite, there is a video out there that captures a dispute between one of the flight attendants and a passenger who seems to definitely be under the influence of something.
This interaction starts with the flight attendant politely asking the passenger to calm down. You can watch the video below (of course be warned that there’s bad language), but just to recap some of the key points:
- The passenger asks the flight attendant “we’re in the air?” and “are you smoking weed?”
- The passenger then nearly falls over and just can’t stand anymore, and tells people to “f*ck off”
- The passenger then says he was “about to walk out for a cigarette”
- The flight attendant then says to him “you’re carrying on like a bloody two-bob watch” (which, OMG, that is a really good line — is this widely used Australian slang, or does this guy just have some zingers?)
- I’m confused, the guy in the white button down shirt, is that just a random passenger, or is this one of Australia’s air marshals who broke cover?
Upon landing, the man was taken into custody, and was also placed on Qantas’ permanent no-fly list.
This kind of behavior is unacceptable, of course…
I have some level of sympathy for people who might have mental episodes onboard planes. In this case, everything about this guy’s behavior is what you’d expect from someone who maybe had too much to drink (or too much of something).
While I realize substance abuse is an addiction, people also need to know their limits when they’re going in public, and potentially putting the safety of others at risk.
Now, if this guy simply had too much to drink, one wonders how much he had before departure, vs. how much he was served onboard, because that’s obviously something that should be considered as well. It appears that the incident happened around four hours after takeoff (give or take), based on the flight map showing 11 hours remaining to Dallas.
I also have to give the flight attendant credit for doing a good job deescalating the situation. This guy was obviously totally out of it, and it quickly became clear that there wasn’t a lot that could be done to control his behavior. And the fact that he threw in the “you’re carrying on like a bloody two-bob watch” is the icing on the cake.
Bottom line
A Qantas Boeing 787 flying from Melbourne to Dallas diverted to Tahiti after a passenger became disruptive, and started yelling and cussing at others, and reportedly even biting a crew member. This man is now in jail in Tahiti, and is also permanently banned from Qantas. I hope he gets the help he needs to get his substance abuse issues under control, but oy, what a mess…
What do you make of this Qantas diversion?
Tahiti is such a good place to divert to in such situation, French gendarmerie usually doesn't f*ck aroud with people like this.
Arthur! I got a plan on how to get to Tahiti.
Carrying on like a two-bob watch is indeed Aussie slang, old school, you don't hear it much these days. My dad used to say it. I suspect that staff member deployed that phrase as a non-sweary way of telling the guy to calm down, you can't exactly tell him to stop acting like a f-ing c-t in front of passengers (although that would be very Australian).
Offender has an Aussie accent but is wearing a Virginia t-shirt. Wonder if he lives in the US? Could be tricky returning back here after all this.
Also, love how the Aussie FAs keep calling him mate even though he’s clearly no one’s favorite friend. Classic!
It's like a Joe, the police officer in Family Guy, repeating "sir."
I totally get wanting to "feel good" or escape reality, but if somebody doesn't know to not get high before flying one of the longer flights in the world, or doesn't know how to get high in a controlled fashion, well... their needing to take a boat back from Tahiti is the outcome they deserved.
Also kudos to the airline for barely being late after all that!
It’s definitely a very old Australian zinger from way back, Ben. Generally only used by Boomers or above. Two bob meaning two pounds or dollars, so a very cheap watch, meaning you’re carrying on like someone with no class, or childishly.
Two shillings, mate.
Yep, a "bob" is slang for the old shilling coin (one twentieth of a UK pound).
An old slang term for someone being gay is that "he is as bent as a nine bob note". Point being that there never was a nine shilling note. There was a ten shilling note - half a quid!
I have quite a few issues with Qantas, and am far from being a fanboy, but one thing I will give them credit for is the handling of intoxicated passangers.
It is very very very unlikely that he was served any meaningful amount of alcohol on the plane. Qantas has always been very strict about that.
If I had to guess, the guy consumed what referred to as "something else", either before the...
I have quite a few issues with Qantas, and am far from being a fanboy, but one thing I will give them credit for is the handling of intoxicated passangers.
It is very very very unlikely that he was served any meaningful amount of alcohol on the plane. Qantas has always been very strict about that.
If I had to guess, the guy consumed what referred to as "something else", either before the flight or onboard.
Either way, good on Qanats for letting him off the plane. Having to deal with him for 9 hours, biting or not, would have been hell for other passangers.
Would be a very long (and expensive) flight back home for him, and glad I won't bump into him on a QF flight anytime soon.
"Carry on like a two bob watch" - I am not sure if it's strictly Australian or something that was imported from the UK... It's something you'd hear your grandma say, this gentleman is definitely the youngest person I have ever heard using it... It is cure I admit - I am now looking for an opportunity to say it myself.
Waking up with a filthy hangover and realizing you've been dumped in Papeete? Priceless...
“As good as a two bob watch”. Dunno about Australia but it was once a common saying in NZ. When watches were expensive.
Do they ban people for that kind of behavior in the US? If they did, Spirit Airlines would have to go out of business.
Oh, wait….
Well, that's what Google is for: "A "two-bob watch" is a classic Australian and British slang phrase used to describe something that is cheap, common, unreliable, or erratic. In older British and Australian currency, a "bob" was a shilling. A watch bought for "two bob" was notoriously cheap and prone to acting up. The phrase is most famously used in the idiom "carrying on like a two-bob watch." If someone is acting frantically, erratically, or...
Well, that's what Google is for: "A "two-bob watch" is a classic Australian and British slang phrase used to describe something that is cheap, common, unreliable, or erratic. In older British and Australian currency, a "bob" was a shilling. A watch bought for "two bob" was notoriously cheap and prone to acting up. The phrase is most famously used in the idiom "carrying on like a two-bob watch." If someone is acting frantically, erratically, or nervously, they are compared to the shaky, unpredictable ticking of a cheap, low-quality timepiece."
Gemini may think it's known in Britain as well as Australia, but I suggest it's hallucinating on that.
No, Albert, a bob or shilling originally was UK coinage.
We are "serious" about terrorism in the skies but this kind of behavior the criminal justice system in Western Culture (maybe for the exception of Singapore) just shrugs and doesn't consider it dangerous. (Ditto BTW drunk driving).
Should be ten years in prison and a permanent No Fly List. The word would get around the lowlife crowd that you FA in the skies you FO.
You’re entirely incorrect. It’s is considered a danger. Several European carriers have taken legal action to recoup diversion costs. In case of the crew being physically assaulted they have the right to take further action. I’m aware of two cases already where crew members were sexually assaulted and punched. They are suing the passengers.
Don’t worry, Icarus. George is just doing performative outrage. He likes to pretend that no one does anything about incidents like these, but obviously they do pursue claims, press charges, etc. George also usually promotes some excessive punishments and vigilantism, even though neither of those are effective deterrence either. He’s a rage-baiter.
Zombie virus outbreak.
Z are coming.
Airline ought never go to Dallas , which is tense with country music and pick-up trucks . Better to go to Tahiti in the first place where one can relax . The only good thing Dallas ever had was Braniff .
are you okay?
I agree with the definition of Dallas. It's just full of Southern Hicks, and lacks culture.
The two-bob watch comment sent me! It's only something I've heard from old people living out in the country, so to hear a city-based younger FA use it was hilarious - QF's commitment to all things 'Australiana' knows no bounds ;)
The simple solution to mitigate these incidents is to ban the offenders for at least a decade from flying ANY airline. Period.
They cannot be banned from all airlines as it involves sharing private data contrary to GDPR as well as a myriad of international laws. In general the individual can only be prohibited from flying the carrier on which the incident took place.
Thank you, Icarus. Sure, lavanderialarry’s sentiment is cathartic, but as you remind us, not valid. That said, I doubt Qantas will want the perpetrator on-board anytime soon. Probably a temporary ban, charges, and claims; all appealable. Would be fascinating if Ben were ever to follow-up on incidents like this months or years after to update us on what ended up happening.
I wondered the same thing about the man in the white button down shirt, if he was in business he'd likely have been in PJs by that point of the flight but in economy it seems odd to be so dressed up. I have never heard any mention of air marshals on Qantas flights before but he did seem very comfortable trying to restrain him so maybe he was? Looong trip for everyone but they handled it really well.
I believe the man in the white shirt is a flight attendant. Perhaps he had removed his tie because he was on a break at the time.
Judging from the way that gentleman in the white short looks, he's probably a gay porn actor, with that large bushy mustache. He's probably flying to Dallas to join that burgeoning gay porn scene that relocated there from LA due to business un-friendly policies of left-wing California government.
Yep, a somewhat common Australian saying, especially amongst the older generations.
In the article Ben, reports: “You’re carrying on like a bloody two-bob watch” and goes on to say “OMG, that is a really good line — is this widely used Australian slang?”
Well Ben, having served in support of Australian SF, back in the day, the wording was a little different. Before the WOKE brigade took over humour, the saying was: “You are acting like a cheap Japanese watch”.
No offence to any Japanese personnel...
In the article Ben, reports: “You’re carrying on like a bloody two-bob watch” and goes on to say “OMG, that is a really good line — is this widely used Australian slang?”
Well Ben, having served in support of Australian SF, back in the day, the wording was a little different. Before the WOKE brigade took over humour, the saying was: “You are acting like a cheap Japanese watch”.
No offence to any Japanese personnel intended. Is that good enough for a ‘get out of jail’ card these days? …. :-)
So sorry JB, the previous post was supposed to be standalone and not in response to your own …. apologies.
I have lived in Australia for 50 years and never once heard someone use the “cheap Japanese watch” phrase.
Pedro, spend some time with those ‘funny chaps’ who have an HQ outside Perth. Crack a few Frosties, Albion or four-X, pin back your ears and learn all sorts of strange sayings.
Don’t know what you’re on about. Pedro is right on
Yeah, yeah… don’t bite people… *yawn*
Tahiti or Dallas… hmm… I’mm’a stay in Tahiti.
Please end your life already.
Keep yourself safe!
Good, you can stay there, then the rest of us won't have to listen to your BS.
Brian, they have the internet in Tahiti… though, perhaps, I’d be too busy enjoying myself at the beach or hiking or fishing or… French Polynesia is lovely, after all.
I doubt the French Polynesians are going to want him hanging around. He'll probably be taken from custody to the airport and have his morbidly obese ass deported.
Oh, the perpetrator? Yeah, that guy’s probably not welcome; but, if other affected passengers don’t want to proceed after the stop, maybe they’d wanna stay behind, soak up the sun, etc. who knows. Just having a little fun here.