Reclining American Airlines passenger 'punches back' calling for angry man to be prosecuted

Williams has vowed to bring legal action against the punchy passenger. Photo / Supplied via Twitter

A woman who recorded footage of a pugnacious passenger hitting the back of her chair is now threatening legal action against both American Airlines and the traveller in the seat behind.

Wendi Williams' video found viral fame after she recorded the incident on the American Airlines flight from New Orleans on January 31.

At the time she took to Twitter after finding little sympathy from the flight crew. The video saw 1.3 million views on the social media platform, but the verdict was split as to who was in the wrong.

A poll in an article on nzherald.co.nz shows that 38 per cent of respondents felt she was in the right for complaining about the other passenger's behaviour.

Meanwhile 36 per cent sided with the punchy passenger and 26 per cent could sympathise with neither of them.

Still, she was unperturbed in her fight for justice.

In a new interview with FOX Business, Wendi Williams said she felt she was in a "David and Goliath" battle with American Airlines over the incident.

"I feel like it's kind of a David and Goliath story with American Airlines because they're this big company and I'm just a teacher," she said.

While it was difficult to take on the airline, she felt the angry passenger behind her "definitely needs to be prosecuted".

Williams said she sat back up to allow the angry passenger to eat his meal, she reclined again as soon as the meal service was over.

"He started full-on punching my seat to where I was falling forward, flying forward, and he continued, and I was trying to get the flight attendants' attention, they were paying no mind," she said."

"I just thought, 'I have to deal with this on my own somehow', so I took out my phone and started videoing."

Even after the flight attendant sided with the passenger and threatened to report Williams with passenger disturbance, she knew the video was important evidence for her case.

A spokesperson for American Airlines said an investigation into the incident is ongoing: "the safety and comfort of our customers and team members are our top priorities, and our team is looking into the issue."

Williams claims she suffered injuries, including whiplash from the assault by the angry passenger punching her chair, and hopes that the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) would step in to take up her case.