New testimonies from witnesses are cornering Heather Cho, daughter of Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho, for causing the delay of the family-run airline’s flight and deplaning a head steward.

During prosecutor’s questioning and a media interview, the chief flight attendant and a passenger said that the Hanjin Group heiress insulted the cabin crew by using abusive language and violence.

“I begged her forgiveness on behalf of the flight attendant but Cho poked my hand with the corner of a file while hurling abuses at us,” the purser Park Chang-jin said in an interview with local broadcaster KBS. He also said Cho made him and the stewardess kneel down in front of her.

“People who haven’t experienced (such abuse) will not understand my feeling of being insulted and shamed,” he said.

On Sunday, Cho left a note apologizing to the chief flight attendant when she visited his home, but he was not there.

According to an official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Cho was under the influence of alcohol when the “nut rage” incident occurred. She said that she had a bottle of wine with her acquaintances before getting on board.

Another witness, only identified by her surname Park, who was sitting in front of Cho in the first class cabin of the flight, also backed the purser’s claim by saying that Cho ordered the removal of the chief steward and pushed him to a corner.

Cho, former vice president of the South Korea’s No. 1 airline, is currently being probed by the prosecutor and the ministry following allegations of aviation security law violations.

On Dec. 5, Cho allegedly ordered the plane, KE 086, to be pulled back from the runway to the terminal to drop off the flight manager when she was served a bag of macadamia nuts by a junior flight attendant who failed to ask her if she wanted them.

The plane, carrying some 250 passengers onboard, was leaving New York for Incheon in South Korea. The incident caused a delay of 11 minutes in the flight.

The testimonies from witnesses highly contradict what Cho and her company said earlier.

On Friday, Cho apologized to the flight attendant and the purser but said she is “not aware of any verbal and physical abuse,” when she appeared to attend the transport ministry’s probe.

The carrier also maintained that the flight manager had neglected his duties by not being aware of whether or not it was suitable to serve nuts to passengers without asking them first.

Some believe that the company made a false statement to conceal Cho’s flaws.

“Cho shouted ‘stop the plane immediately. I won’t let the plane take off’ and I couldn’t dare disobey her. She’s the daughter of the owner,” head steward Park said.

But Korean Air claimed that Cho discussed the matter with the pilot, who reportedly made the call.

Under the aviation laws, cabin crew onboard are under the sole supervision of the pilot.

Cho stepped down from all her posts in Korean Air and other affiliated companies run by Hanjin Group after the incident triggered public uproar here.

The prosecutors will summon Cho as a defendant this week.

Korean Air declined to comment on further details of the matter when contacted by phone.

By Park Han-na (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)