class seat as plane makes emergency landing at BWI Marshall Airport – WTOP News
A disruptive passenger on an American Airlines flight was restrained by fellow passengers and crew after becoming violent and abusive. The flight was diverted to Baltimore for an emergency landing to ensure the safety of those on board.
Why it matters
Reflects ongoing concerns regarding passenger safety and the rise of unruly behavior in commercial aviation.
(CNN) — A disruptive passenger was restrained with flexible handcuffs and duct-taped to a seat as his flight was diverted to make an emergency landing in Baltimore Thursday night, photos and video from other passengers showed.
Richard Olenick and Juan Mejia were more than halfway through the flight when a man two rows behind them in the first-class section started to become belligerent, Olenick said.
American Airlines Flight 618 was traveling from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to Newark when the crew reported the passenger disturbance, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
A flight attendant tried to control the situation but the man got increasingly agitated, started to hit the passenger next to him and then hit a woman who tried to intervene, Olenick said.
Upon seeing things turn physical, Mejia, who is a retired New Jersey police officer, got up and Olenick followed.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in