Flight Diverted After Alleged Spiritual Battle at 30,000 Feet

It started with stomping. Then yelling. Then shaking. To the passengers and crew of American Eagle^® Flight 4162, bound for Miami from Savannah, Georgia, it seemed like a medical emergency or maybe panic. But what unfolded next was something no one on board could have predicted.

A Flight Interrupted

On the evening of March 10, 2025, 31-year-old Delange Augustin boarded the regional jet with his sister, Medjina, joining just six other passengers and five crew members. They were headed to Haiti by way of Miami, but the journey would never make it past the Georgia state line.

According to a federal complaint, less than one minute after takeoff, flight attendants reported Augustin stomping his feet, yelling incoherently, and trembling in his seat, according to Fox 13.

Witnesses assumed it was a seizure — until a flight attendant approached to help.

Augustin allegedly kicked her so forcefully that she flew across the aisle and into the opposite window.

With that, the illusion of a medical crisis vanished. The plane had become a scene of chaos.

Kicks, Punches, and Collapsed Seats

As the aircraft climbed, Augustin reportedly turned even more violent, attacking a fellow passenger's seat until it collapsed under his repeated blows.

The passenger had already moved to avoid confrontation, but Augustin's outburst didn't stop. According to affidavits filed by the FBI, Augustin's behavior only subsided when the pilots diverted the flight back to Savannah.

The cabin quieted — briefly.

As the plane landed, the captain asked passengers to remain seated. But before the boarding door even opened, Augustin allegedly stormed the front, dragging his sister with him. Once there, he launched a series of punches, striking a flight attendant in the upper arm. Three passengers restrained him until airport police arrived.

Religious Fears and Legal Consequences

What prompted Augustin's violence?

Court documents reveal that Medjina Augustin told authorities her brother instructed her to "close her eyes and pray because Satan's disciple(s) had followed them onto the plane" before he began his outburst and that he swallowed rosary beads because they are "a weapon of strength in the spiritual warfare," according to PEOPLE.

Augustin now faces federal charges of interfering with flight crew members, along with state charges of battery and criminal damage. A federal judge denied him bond, citing the violent nature of the incident and his intent to leave the country.

As of this writing, he remains in custody at Chatham County Detention Center.

Authorities continue to investigate the full circumstances surrounding Augustin's behavior. His sister maintains he was not suffering from any medical or mental health condition. She told investigators plainly, "He hurts evil," as reported by Fox 13.

What evil he believed to be fighting in attacking the passengers and flight attendants remains uncertain.

References: Passenger Allegedly Swallowed Rosary Beads and Attacked Crew Members During Mid-Flight Meltdown | Florida-bound flight turned around after man allegedly attacked crew member, swallowed rosary beads | Man charged after he's accused of attacking flight attendant, swallowing rosary beads | Passenger accused of kicking attendant, throwing 'haymakers,' eating rosary beads on plane | Man charged with attack on flight attendants denied bond