A video captured the moment passengers and flight crew members had to hold down an unruly passenger who they say tried to open a plane door mid-air on an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C.
Passengers and law enforcement sources told NBC4 Washington they had to make an emergency landing because the passenger was interfering with the flight crew. That’s when flight attendants, with the help of some passengers, held him down.
Carlos Rojas, seen in the video standing up with a black shirt on, helped subdue the man. Rojas said the man appeared aggravated and disoriented.
“It wasn’t too scary only because I didn’t really know what was happening until it was happening,” Rojas said.
The flight from LAX was meant to arrive at Reagan Airport, but had to be diverted to Kansas City. Once there, everyone had to get off the plane. The arrival board showed a more than five-hour delay.
According to American Airlines, police were requested to meet the flight on arrival. Rojas and several others spoke to authorities, including the FBI, once they were on the ground.
“As soon as we landed they came on the plane. They escorted the gentleman that was causing the disturbance off the plane and proceeded to conduct interviews and ask people questions,” Rojas said.
There were no reports of any injuries.
“We’re grateful to our crew members, who are consistently dedicated to the safety and care of our customers and who handled the circumstances with the utmost skill and professionalism,” the airline said in a statement.
Passengers said they’re also thankful for people like Rojas, who were willing to take action to help keep them safe during a very scary flight.
The FBI said in a statement that the unruly passenger was taken into custody. He has not been identified.
It is still unclear which charges, if any, he will face.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants said on Twitter that the passenger’s attempt to open the door was “another dangerous, life-threatening incident” on a plane.
“This violent behavior must stop,” the union said.
The incident comes comes amid a surge in unruly airline passengers over the past year or so — including some who become violent. Earlier this month, Delta Air Lines told the U.S. Department of Justice that any person convicted of a disruption on board a flight should be added to the national “no fly” list.
According to the FAA, there have been 394 unruly passenger reports so far in 2022. Last year, a total of 5,981 unruly passengers were reported.
