A drunk woman with “insane strength” who assaulted an airline steward and tried to open the doors of a plane mid-flight has admitted the on-board rampage that forced the pilot to turn back.
Chloe Haines, 26, pleaded guilty to endangering the safety of an aircraft and assault by beating after an incident that saw a passenger plane to Turkey forced to divert back to Stansted Airport.
She was so violent that two RAF jets were scrambled to escort the Jet2 plane back to Britain on June 22.
Haines was accused by the airline of a “catalogue of aggressive, abusive and dangerous behaviour” on a flight bound for Dalaman in Turkey, including trying to open the aircraft doors during the flight.
She appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday where she also admitted assaulting cabin crew member Charley Coombe.
Haines denied a charge of drunkenness on an aircraft.
Barrister Oliver Saxby, for Haines, said there was “no question that she was drunk” but that the charge of endangering the safety of an aircraft was the “more serious alternative”.
She was bailed to return to the court on January 24 for sentencing.
Haines was said to have been restrained by both crew and customers while the two Typhoon fighter jets chaperoned the plane back to Stansted.
The aircraft caused a sonic boom as they flew to meet the plane and escort it.
An ex-bouncer on board the flight told The Sun of Haines’ “insane strength” as he wrestled her to the floor during the incident.
Steven Brown, 58, said: “She was punching, kicking and screaming at the stewards. They were trying to stop her but they had no chance.
“She was only petite but she had the strength of a fully-grown man. The only time I’ve seen anything like that was when someone had just dropped acid. She had super strength.”
Haines, of Maidenhead in Berkshire, was arrested by Essex Police upon landing on suspicion of assault, criminal damage and endangering an aircraft.
Shortly afterwards, Jet2 said in a statement she has been hit with both an £85,000 bill and a lifetime ban from the airline.
Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “Miss Haines’ behaviour was one of the most serious cases of disruptive passenger behaviour that we have experienced.
“She must now face up to the consequences of her actions, and we will vigorously pursue to recover the costs that we incurred as a result of this divert, as we do with all disruptive passengers.
“As a family friendly airline, we take an absolutely zero tolerance approach to disruptive behaviour, and we hope that this sobering incident, with its very serious consequences, provides a stark warning to others who think that they can behave in this fashion.”