Woman Sexually Assaulted In Toilet On Flight

A man sexually assaulted a female passenger in the toilet of a Japan Airlines flight, barricading the door as the victim's mother and flight attendants tried to rescue her, US authorities say.

The woman was returning home to Japan with her mother after a four-day holiday when she went to use the bathroom nearly two hours into Saturday's flight.

The man forced his way into the lavatory and attacked her, but she was able to push the emergency button while trying to fight him off, according to an FBI affidavit.

He allegedly blocked the lavatory door as the woman's mother, flight crew and other passengers tried to rescue her.

They had to remove screws from the door's hinges to open it, said an FBI affidavit.

The captain turned the plane around two hours after takeoff upon learning it took three passengers to subdue the attacker.

The flight, which had been en route to Kansai, Japan, returned to Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii.

FBI agents detained Michael Tanouye, 29, on suspicion of interfering with a flight crew and aggravated sexual assault aboard an aircraft.

The assault charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The accused, of Hilo, Hawaii, was also on the plane with his mother.

She told a flight attendant he suffers from depression and was on medication.

Shortly before the attack, he was reportedly heard shouting something incomprehensible.