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A United Airlines passenger caused a chaotic scene after mixing Xanax and alcohol to ease his flying anxiety, resulting in unruly behavior, urinating in his seat and the aisle, and forcing an emergency diversion to Dublin.
The passenger, 34-year-old Zachary Greear, a climate analyst from the United States, boarded United Flight 71 from Amsterdam to Newark. Two hours into the flight, Greear began acting disruptively and urinated in his seat, alarming fellow passengers. Authorities described him as so intoxicated that he was unable to understand his surroundings when Ireland’s national police, Gardaí, boarded the aircraft.
The incident forced the captain to dump over $30,000 worth of fuel to divert the plane to Dublin, disrupting the journey for 153 passengers and 13 crew members. Judge Michéle Finan, during the Dublin district court hearing, called Greear’s actions “appalling,” highlighting the fear and inconvenience caused to everyone on board.
Greear pleaded guilty to charges of intoxication, abusive behavior, and causing annoyance under Ireland’s Air Navigation and Transport Act. Despite his disruptive behavior, the court acknowledged Greear’s clean criminal record, apology, and willingness to donate $5,000 to charitable causes.
The court ultimately fined him 10,000 euros (approximately $10,308), requiring him to match his donations to compensate United Airlines for damages. United Airlines confirmed that Greear was removed from the flight without further incident and that the plane resumed its journey later that day.
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