Naked Passenger Causes Chaos on Southwest Flight from Houston to Phoenix

HOUSTON, Texas — A Southwest Airlines flight from Houston to Phoenix was forced to return to the gate on Monday afternoon after a female passenger stripped naked and created a chaotic scene onboard.

The incident occurred as Flight 733 was taxiing down the runway at Hobby Airport around 3:20 p.m. Video footage recorded by a nearby passenger captured the woman, initially fully clothed, yelling and walking toward the front of the aircraft.

“It was very uncomfortable and really scary,” said one passenger, who wished to remain anonymous. Witnesses reported that she screamed, “I want off the flight” and repeatedly banged on the cockpit doors, demanding entry.

Eyewitness accounts reveal that shortly after the woman’s outburst began, she started removing her clothing, moving from her hat to her shoes, and proceeded to walk up and down the aisle while completely nude. A passenger described the events, stating, “She started jumping up and down, screaming at the top of her lungs. It was very evident that she was having a mental breakdown.”

As some passengers attempted to ignore the escalating situation, others expressed alarm, particularly given the presence of children on the flight. “It was so shocking, and it came as a complete surprise to everyone,” noted another witness.

At one point, the naked woman allegedly approached a flight attendant, leading to an uncomfortable interaction described by a passenger as the woman rubbing her body against the attendant.

In response to the disturbance, the aircraft returned to the gate, where airline staff wrapped the woman in a blanket as she exited through the open door—running away without further incident. A spokesperson for the Houston Police Department confirmed that the woman was detained for a medical evaluation but would not face charges at this time, a fact that surprised some passengers.

“Considering that she got naked in front of a bunch of kids, it’s shocking there’s no legal action,” one traveler remarked.

The flight was delayed for approximately an hour before it was cleared to take off for Phoenix. Southwest Airlines later issued a statement apologizing to customers for the disruption. “Local law enforcement met Flight 733… after it returned to the gate because of a customer situation onboard. We appreciate our customers’ patience as our teams worked to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible,” the statement read.

This incident comes amid a notable decrease in unruly passenger incidents this year, following a spike in 2021. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, reports of such incidents dropped from nearly 6,000 in 2021 to about 2,100 in 2024, although the current figures remain higher than the pre-pandemic statistics of approximately 1,600 incidents in 2019.