OAKLAND -- A Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Las Vegas was turned around today after a man allegedly exposed himself to his female seat-mate, punched her when she screamed, then stripped off all of his clothes as flight attendants and passengers subdued him.
The man, whose name has not been released, was taken to Highland Hospital in Oakland for medical clearance and was still there shortly after noon. He is expected to be booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.
Southwest officials said Flight 947, which is scheduled to depart at 7:15 a.m., returned to Oakland International Airport at 8:15 a.m. After an investigation, the flight took off again for Las Vegas at about 10 a.m.
Nelson said the suspect and the female passenger apparently did not know each other.
An e-mail account from a passenger on the flight, forwarded to The Chronicle, said the incident occurred about a half hour after takeoff.
Flight attendants subdued the man, pinning him face-down on the floor, and enlisted the help of passengers in case he tried to escape, the passenger said.
About 10 sheriff's deputies boarded the plane in Oakland, the e-mail message said, and the man was arrested without incident.
