Unruly passenger arrested after London-bound flight returns to Philly

    Authorities say a drunken airline passenger groped three women before air marshals handcuffed him and the London-bound plane turned back to Philadelphia.

    Forty-year-old Robert Coppack of La Verne, California, will remain in custody until a detention hearing Monday in federal court.

    An FBI affidavit says two women seated near Coppack complained about him on Tuesday’s overnight flight, prompting the crew to steer him toward the back of the plane. The affidavit says he then groped a retired flight attendant as he walked down the aisle.

    Coppack is charged with intimidating a crew member.

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    Neither relatives listed at his California address nor a public defender returned calls for comment Wednesday.

    US Airways spokeswoman Michelle Mohr says the flight eventually arrived at Heathrow, about four hours late.

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