Video shows American Airlines pilot tackling aggressive passenger

A protective pilot has tackled a passenger who allegedly pushed a flight attendant to the ground and threatened to break another's jaw in a drunken tantrum.

Shocking video shows the American Airlines pilot leaping at 25-year-old Michael Kerr before pinning him to the floor during the July 21 confrontation.

"You don't put your hands on my flight attendant," the pilot yelled, after Kerr allegedly shoved the female attendant.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports Kerr began attacking crew when the flight from Kentucky landed at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina.

According to an FBI affidavit, Kerr refused to return to his seat as the plane taxied to the gate.

When an attendant asked him to sit, he threatened to break her jaw.

He then walked to the front of the plane, swearing at flight crew, and kicked one attendant in the leg and shoved another to the floor, according to the affidavit.

Passenger Michael Colon, who filmed the altercation, said the captain "jumped" Kerr.

"I was scared. I was very scared. I felt like the flight attendant's life was in danger, and I felt like someone else needed to step in, the way he treated her," Colon, a flight attendant for Norwegian Airlines, said.

"We landed and were taxiing, and waiting for the jet bridge to arrive at the exit door and the man started screaming, 'let's go, go'."

As he was held down with a seat belt strap, Kerr allegedly told the pilot: "Whatever you do is going on Facebook, and you're a ... complete ... loser. You heard me right the first time."

It took about 20 minutes for police to arrive and arrest Kerr, who allegedly drank three glasses of Jack Daniel's whiskey during the flight.

He was dragged from the plane, kicking, screaming and spitting.

Kerr faces charges of being intoxicated and disruptive, assault on a female, communicating threats and interfering with a flight crew or attendant, the Charlotte Observer reports.

He was released on $US25,000 bond, according to the US Attorney's Office.

In addition to being fired from his job as a cook at Portofino, he is banned from flying on commercial airlines as a result of his alleged outburst. According to his Facebook page, he recently got engaged.

Tanise Love, a friend of one of the flight attendants, said the victim was grateful for the support she has received since the shocking incident.

"I don't think she's so much focused on the assailant or his wrongdoing, she's just focused on getting better," Ms Love told the Charlotte Observer.