TOKYO – An All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight bound for the US was forced to return to Tokyo after a passenger, believed to be an intoxicated 55-year-old American man, bit a cabin crew member mid-flight. The incident, which left the crew member mildly injured, occurred due to the passenger’s heavily drunk state, according to an ANA spokesman. The plane, carrying 159 passengers, had to turn back over the Pacific to Haneda airport, where the unruly passenger was handed over to the police.

The passenger reportedly told investigators that he had no recollection of his behavior. The incident, which left some social media users comparing it to the beginning of a zombie movie, is one of several aviation incidents in Japan this year. The most serious being a near-catastrophic collision between a Japan Airlines aircraft and a smaller coast guard plane at Haneda airport, which resulted in the death of five people on the smaller aircraft.

In another incident, the wing tip of a Korean Air airliner struck an empty Cathay Pacific plane while taxiing at an airport in Hokkaido, although no injuries were reported. Similarly, an ANA aircraft came into contact with a Delta Air Lines plane at a Chicago airport, causing no injuries. Additionally, an ANA flight had to turn back after a crack was discovered on the cockpit window of the aircraft.

According to aviation expert Doug Drury, incidents such as these are not uncommon, with larger planes being handled at airports that were not originally built for them. He also mentioned that the cracked window incident may have been caused by a faulty window heat system due to extreme temperatures at altitude.