A video of a woman having a meltdown on an American Airlines flight went viral in July, sparking curiosity and criticism from social media users. The woman, later identified as Tiffany Gomas, a marketing executive from Dallas, was seen accusing a fellow passenger of not being “real” and claiming that the plane was not safe. She also used profanity and told the other passengers that they could “die with them or not” as she stormed off the plane.
The incident happened on July 2, when Gomas was traveling with her relatives from Dallas to Orlando on flight AA 1009. According to police documents, Gomas got into an argument with her family members over her AirPods, which she accused them of stealing. She then started to panic and make irrational statements about the aircraft and the people on board. She refused to cooperate with the flight attendants and had to be removed by airport staff.
The video of Gomas’ outburst was captured by another passenger and posted on TikTok, where it quickly gained millions of views and comments. Some people expressed sympathy for Gomas, while others mocked her or questioned her mental health. The video also made headlines in various news outlets, such as Yahoo News and The New York Post.
How did the viral video affect Gomas’ life?
Gomas told [DailyMail.com] that the viral video of her breakdown ruined her life and caused her a lot of distress. She said that her identity was exposed by the media and that she received threats and harassment from strangers. She also said that people went through her mail and staked out her house in Dallas.
“My life has been blown up. It’s frightening. Things go viral and everything changes,” Gomas said. “They’re staking out my house. They’re staking out my neighbors. They’re going through my mail.”
Gomas did not explain what triggered her meltdown or what she meant by saying that the passenger was not real. She only asked people to reserve judgment and not to assume anything about her situation.
“No one knows anyone else’s story, and no one should judge. No one knows what it’s like,” she said.
How did the viral video affect the other passengers and the airline?
The viral video of Gomas’ breakdown also had negative consequences for the other passengers and the airline. Because of Gomas’ claims that the plane was not safe, the flight crew decided to rescreen all the passengers and their luggage as a safety precaution. This caused hours of delays for the travelers, who had to deplane and go through security again.
The airline also issued a criminal trespass notice to Gomas, banning her from boarding the flight and entering the secure area of the airport. However, Gomas tried to sneak back into the boarding area multiple times, until she was finally escorted to the curb by police.
American Airlines released a statement about the incident, saying that they apologized to their customers for the inconvenience and that they were working with law enforcement to investigate the matter.
“The safety and security of our customers and crew is our top priority,” the statement said.
