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US flight diverted because of 'unruly' passenger

June 5, 2021

A passenger aboard a flight from Los Angeles to Nashville tried to break into the cockpit. Crew and other passengers managed to detain the man until he could be handed over to the FBI.

https://p.dw.com/p/3uSbR
A picture of a Delta Air Lines Bombardier Boeing 757-200 aircraft on final approach for landing in New York JFK John F. Kennedy International Airport
The incident caused the Delta Air Lines flight to land in New Mexico.Image: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/picture alliance

A US internal flight was diverted to New Mexico on Friday afternoon after a passenger tried to break into the cockpit.

The Delta Air Lines Flight 386 was en route from Los Angeles to Nashville when the incident took place.

What we know so far

An "unruly" man attempted to enter the locked cockpit before other passengers and crew managed to detain him, the airline said.

Video taken aboard the plane shows the zip-tied and shoeless man surrounded by passengers and crew members while he repeats: "Stop this plane!"

A flight attendant and passengers bound his hands and feet with yellow cord, then carried him to the back of the plane, where he was placed face down in a seat, videos circulated on social media showed.

The flight was then diverted to Albuquerque International Sunport, landing at around 2.20 p.m. local time (20:20 UTC). 

"Thanks to the crew and passengers of Delta Flight 386... who assisted in detaining an unruly passenger as the flight diverted to Albuquerque," the airline said in a statement. 

The passenger was taken into custody by the police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The FBI in Albuquerque said in a Tweet that it was responding to the incident and that there was "no threat to the public at this time."

No one was hurt during the incident.

The flight later resumed its trip to Nashville, an airport spokesperson said.

kmm/dj (Reuters, AP)