Delta Airline
Delta Airlines flight diverts as passenger fight over reclining seatsReuters

A Delta Airlines flight attendant broke a wine bottle over an unruly male passenger's head on Thursday, after the passenger lunged for an exit door of the flight.

The passenger also assaulted another flight attendant and a passenger in the plane headed to Beijing from Seattle.

The passenger, Joseph Daniel Hudek IV, 23, of Tampa, Florida, appeared in the United States District Court on Friday after a criminal complaint was filed against him by prosecutors in Washington state. 

Hudek was charged with interfering with flight crew and is expected to remain in custody until his detention hearing on July 13, according to the Associated Press.

Delta Airlines released a statement on Thursday stating, "Flight 129 returned to Seattle following a security incident with a passenger. The passenger was restrained on board and was removed from the flight by law enforcement without further incident when the aircraft arrived back in Seattle."

207 passengers were on board when the incident occurred, according to Delta.

Delta picture
A picture of the aftermath released by the US District AttorneyFBI via US Attorney's Office in Seattle

According to an airport spokesperson, the flight, Boeing 767, turned around after half an hour since taking off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The aircraft was northwest of Canada's Vancouver Island over the Pacific Ocean when the incident occurred, reports said.

The complaint against Hudek stated he suddenly lunged for the exit door, two minutes after coming out of the restroom, and grabbed the handle of the aircraft and attempted to open it. Two flight attendants grabbed him, however, he pushed them away. The attendants then signalled for help from the passengers sitting in the flight and alerted the cockpit.

Hadek punched one of the flight attendants twice in the face and struck one of the attendants in the head with a red dessert wine bottle.

A flight attendant then grabbed two wine bottles and hit Hudek over the head with each, breaking at least one of them, according to the complaint.

A passenger and a flight attendant were hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries.

The flight was then landed safely and Hudek was arrested.