Video captured the moment numerous passengers on an American Airlines flight from Albuquerque, N.M., to Chicago tackled a man and held him in on the ground, forcing the plane to be diverted over what the carrier called an in-flight "disturbance."
According to passengers, the scene started when the man attempted to open an emergency exit on the Tuesday flight.
"30 minutes after departing Albuquerque I was shaken out of my Panda Express and Tequila induced stupor by a man trying to aggressively open the airplane door 4 rows back," one of the passengers wrote on X, alongside photos of the aftermath. "Me and 5 other dudes had to wrestle him into the aisle, duct tape his legs, and throw flexi-cuffs on him."
While the airline and law enforcement authorities did not provide details on what happened, other passengers reported witnessing a similar scene. In one video, a flight attendant can be heard shouting for "flex cuffs."
"One of the scariest days of my life," another passenger wrote on X. "Flying back home from ABQ and we’ve been in the air for about 30 minutes and a huge gush of wind comes out of no where. This guy opened the emergency exit door. People were tackling him down and put him in zip ties. Had to emergency land back."
The man was later seen on video being escorted off the plane by law enforcement.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, American Airlines Flight 1219 returned to Albuquerque International Sunport at around 2:40 p.m. after the crew reported a passenger disturbance.
Local
A statement from American Airlines confirmed the plane, which was headed for O'Hare International Airport, had turned around following a disturbance with a "disruptive customer."
The airline said the customer was met by local law enforcement after the plane had landed back in Albuquerque.
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The incident remains under investigation by the FAA. There is currently no further information.
