ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A plane had to be diverted to New Mexico after an unruly passenger aboard a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Tennessee tried to break into the aircraft cockpit on Friday, according to reports.
Once the unruly man was secured, the plane landed in Albuquerque around 2:20 p.m., KOAT-TV reported. The suspect was removed from the plane and taken into custody. The aircraft then continued on to Nashville.
“The passenger was not successful. The plane landed safely and the passenger was removed by police and the FBI. He is in custody now,” Delta said in a statement to KOAT.
The suspect can be heard saying, “you gotta stop this plane” numerous times in a video tweet from Jessica Robertson. During the recording, three unidentified men help restrain the perpetrator near the cockpit.
“This was our view from the 3rd row right after the @Delta attendants and passengers apprehended the person who attempted to get into the cockpit,” Robertson wrote. “He was screaming ‘Stop the plane.””
This was our view from the 3rd row right after the @Delta attendants and passengers apprehended the person who attempted to get into the cockpit. He was screaming “Stop the plane.” pic.twitter.com/8CG7zNFpTq
— Jessica Robertson (@jesscribe) June 4, 2021
“Flight attendant Christopher Williams acted quickly. So did several passengers around me,” Robertson wrote.
After the melee, the men are seen dragging the suspect to the back of the aircraft, New York Post reported.
There were no injuries reported during the tense struggle. The FBI is leading the investigation. The suspect was not named.
