An American Airlines flight heading from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., on Sunday was diverted to Kansas City International Airport in Missouri after an “unruly” passenger attempted to break into the cockpit — and tried to open an exit door, according to several reports.
The man was subdued by passengers and staff, including a flight attendant who struck him on the head with a coffee pot, according to passenger Mouaz Moustafa.
“A flight attendant ran to the back of the plane and got the coffee pot and continues to bash the guy on the head,” Moustafa told The New York Times, noting that the man was “bleeding profusely.”
“I honestly thought today I might die,” he added.
When the pilot asked for clearance to land in Kansas City, he explained: “He’s trying to get into the cockpit ... We’ve got four passengers now trying to contain this gentleman,” according to a recording of the communications.
The unidentified passenger was taken into custody once the plane landed, and the FBI interviewed passengers.
A statement from the airline said that Flight 1775 was diverted “due to an unruly passenger.”
It “landed safely ... and law enforcement was requested to meet the flight on arrival. 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,” the statement continued.
There were no other immediate details about the passenger or what his motivations may have been to attempt to enter the cockpit or open the door.
The sudden, emergency landing was terrifying, some passengers recalled.
Charles Dayoub, an FBI special agent in charge in Kansas City, said in a statement that the passenger was taken into custody after “interfering with the flight crew.”
A recent report by the Federal Aviation Administration noted that the agency has seen a “disturbing increase in incidents where airline passengers have disrupted flights with threatening or violent behavior.”
As of Feb. 8, there have been 394 unruly passenger reports and 255 mask-related incidents just this year, according to the FAA.