A dramatic mid-flight incident unfolded on a Frontier Airlines flight when a passenger attempted to pry open an emergency exit door and break into the pilot's cabin, forcing an emergency diversion to Miami.
Incident Details
Frontier Airlines Flight 3345 departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico, bound for Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Sunday when crew members reported a "passenger disturbance," according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office told CBS News that flight attendants and other passengers observed a crazed man trying to open the exit doors, claiming he wanted to get off the plane.
Passenger Restrained
A group of passengers attempted to restrain the derailed flyer, who was eventually tied up. Footage captured the moment passengers held him down.
The man allegedly ignored flight attendants' pleas to sit down and stop, instead rushing to the front of the plane to try to enter the pilot's cabin, police said.
An off-duty flight attendant volunteered to sit in the man's row to help keep him in his seat. However, when the off-duty attendant left to use the bathroom, the man attempted to snatch his bag and choke him.
Other passengers and flight attendants eventually restrained the passenger as the flight was diverted to Miami International Airport.
Safe Landing and Arrest
The flight landed safely just before 12 p.m. local time. The passenger, who has not yet been identified, was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of battery.
Frontier Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement, adding that the flight continued to Chicago a few hours after the disturbance. "Law enforcement boarded the aircraft in Miami and removed the passenger, and the flight subsequently continued on to Chicago a few hours later," a Frontier Airlines spokesperson said.
This article first appeared on the New York Post and is reproduced here with permission.
