The unruly passenger also attacked a flight attendant when he tried to open the door of the plane which was in the air. He was arrested by the FBI upon landing.
“I have to get off this plane. » This categorical statement was made this Tuesday, November 19 by a passenger… more than 9000m above the ground. While the latter tried to open the door of the plane, the other passengers of the Milwaukee-Dallas flight of the American Airlines company managed to control him and tie him to the ground, report the public security records of the Dallas airport, consulted by CNN. The unruly passenger first reported to a flight attendant his need to “get out of the plane”according to a report from the airport's public security department, consulted by the American channel. Becoming increasingly agitated, the man tried to throw himself at the door, slightly injuring the airline employee's wrist and neck.
At that moment, passengers near the scene decided to intervene. “All we could think was, 'I have to stop this guy.'”explains Doug McCright, seated in the front row of the plane, to NBC News. He then remembers hearing the passenger in question say: “I’m getting off this plane”. “He was determined and I was determined that he wouldn’t come out of (the device)”he adds to CNN-affiliated channel WDJT. “Everything was happening so fast, it was so chaotic”concludes “hero”.
He and others managed to grab hold of the flailing passenger, then managed to secure him to the ground using duct tape given to them by a flight attendant, according to the Facebook post posted by Doug McCright. The latter escaped with a few scratches on his face, but believes that his actions were worth it. “You can’t make something like this up.”he confides.
1854 incidents en 2024
The plane arrived at its destination at the Dallas airport. At the scene, the FBI and airport security arrested the individual and took him to undergo a mental evaluation, the report seen by CNN said. On the plane, officers found “a male passenger on board, tied and restrained with duct tape”. “We thank our team members and customers for handling a difficult situation”writes American Airlines in a press release consulted by the American channel. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will investigate the incident, according to CNN.
In 2024, 1,854 passenger incidents were reported to the FAA. However, the federation applies zero tolerance towards this type of behavior. And this regulation is working since the figures have been falling since 2021 and its record year (6,000 incidents). Last year, $7.5 million in fines (more than 7 million euros) were imposed by the FAA, CNN reported.
Last February, already on a flight with the same company, a passenger traveling to New Mexico tried to open a door, the plane had to turn around.
