An American Airlines cross-country flight was diverted to Kansas City when a passenger first tried and failed to open the cockpit door, then attempted to open the door to the airplane.
In a social media post Sunday afternoon, FBI Kansas City shared a statement addressing the situation.
“Earlier today, an American Airlines flight originating from Los Angeles Airport (LAX) en route to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) was diverted to Kansas City International Airport (MCI),” the agency said:
Statement regarding a diverted flight to @KCIAirport earlier today, from FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub. pic.twitter.com/ql5cQRpbZM
— FBI Kansas City (@FBIKansasCity) February 13, 2022
The flight had to land in Kansas City because of an “unruly passenger interfering with the flight crew,” the post read, adding that the man had been taken into custody.
Passenger Mouaz Moustafa told Fox News everything seemed all right until a flight attendant told another to switch on the lights and the plane began descending quickly:
“There was a man who was trying to get into the cockpit and trying to open the cockpit door, and he was trying to also open the plane door after he, I guess, failed at the cockpit door,” Moustafa told Fox News Digital. “As people were trying to subdue him and everything, the same flight attendant runs all the way to the back and grabs like a coffee pot, goes all the way to the front and starts bashing this guy, like in the head,” he said.
A video recorded by Moustafa appeared to show someone on the floor as others were hovering over the person.
Passengers leaned into the aisle to see what was happening but everyone seemed to be calm.
On what appeared to be his Twitter profile, Moustafa shared a clip of himself speaking with the pilot, who Moustaka said “tried to bring us down as soon as possible” after the man’s attempts to open the doors.
Chatting with the pilot just now of #AA1775 great pilot he told me that we were 40 mins out of Kansas and he tried to bring us down as soon as possible as a man tried to get into the cockpit then tried to open the plane door. still on tarmac with FBI on scene. pic.twitter.com/jqoYnrJKCG
— Mouaz Moustafa (@SoccerMouaz) February 13, 2022
FBI authorities and additional law enforcement agencies were on the scene when the plane touched down in Kansas City, the Fox News report said.
“We’re grateful to our crew members, who are consistently dedicated to the safety and care of our customers and who handled the circumstances with the utmost skill and professionalism,” an airline spokesperson told the outlet.
https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2022/02/14/video-unruly-man-subdued-after-allegedly-trying-to-enter-plane-cockpit/