American Airways passenger jets put together for departure, Wednesday, July 21, 2021, close to a terminal at Boston Logan Worldwide Airport, in Boston. (AP Picture/Steven Senne, File)
An American Airways flight was diverted to Kansas Metropolis Worldwide Airport in Missouri on Sunday afternoon due to "an unruly passenger," the airline mentioned in a press release.
"American Airways flight 1775 with service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Washington, D.C. (DCA) diverted to Kansas Metropolis (MCI) as a consequence of an unruly passenger," the assertion, offered to CNN, mentioned.
"The flight landed safely at MCI at 2:28 p.m. native time, and legislation enforcement was requested to satisfy the flight on arrival," it added. "We're grateful to our crew members, who're persistently devoted to the protection and care of our prospects and who dealt with the circumstances with the utmost talent and professionalism."
Kansas Metropolis Aviation Division spokesperson Joe McBride advised CNN there was a "passenger interfering with the flight crew," including the incident will probably be underneath the jurisdiction of the FBI.
The FBI confirmed the incident in a press release to CNN, including the person in query had been taken into custody.
The passenger, a 50-year-old man, has been charged with one rely of assaulting and intimidating a flight attendant and thereby interfering within the efficiency of the flight attendant's duties, in line with a US Justice Division information launch.
The person will stay in federal custody till a detention listening to is scheduled, the discharge mentioned.
Flight attendants and passengers subdued passenger
The person, who's 6 ft, 3 inches tall and 240 kilos, advised flight attendants "individuals have been making an attempt to harm him and so they adopted him on the airplane," in line with an affidavit of the incident.
The person went on to inform flight attendants "he heard the people harming his household over the phone," the affidavit mentioned. When requested what the people appeared like, the passenger advised flight attendants one was sitting subsequent to him on the airplane and one other had a knife.
A flight attendant took the person's telephone and noticed he tried to name 911, however could not get by means of, the affidavit mentioned.
Minutes after being seated, the person requested for a cup of water after which walked to the cockpit space of the airplane, "and advised the flight attendants that they weren't flying and that the flight attendants have been mendacity to him." A flight attendant used a beverage cart to create distance between her and the passenger, the affidavit mentioned.
The person then grabbed some plastic silverware, eliminated the serviette round it and positioned the silverware in his shirt sleeve "holding it like a shank," the Justice Division information launch mentioned. A flight attendant advised investigators he felt threatened by the knife.
"(The person) then grabbed a small champagne bottle by the neck of the bottle and tried to interrupt the bottle on the counter. He started kicking and shoving the service cart into one of many flight attendants," the discharge mentioned.
The person then tried to tug open the airplane's exit door, the discharge mentioned.
"A flight attendant grabbed a espresso pot and hit (the person) twice within the head with it," the discharge mentioned. "A number of passengers got here ahead to help the flight attendants."
A type of passengers was a police officer, who pulled the person away from the door. One passenger punched the person within the jaw and one other one grabbed him by the neck and pulled him to the ground, the discharge mentioned.
Flight attendants advised investigators they didn't serve the person any alcohol through the flight.
Mouaz Moustafa, a resident of Washington, DC, was aboard the flight and advised CNN when the flight landed, police and the FBI got here onboard. Passengers have been rescheduled on one other flight.
In keeping with FAA knowledge, 2021 was a foul yr for unruly airplane passenger conduct in the US, with 5,981 stories of unruly passengers logged by the company as of December 31. Of these, 4,290 -- practically 72% -- have been mask-related incidents.
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