An American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. was forced to land in Kansas City, Missouri on Sunday after an "unruly passenger" tried to break into the cockpit and open an exit door.
The incident happened roughly three hours in the flight, according to flight tracker Flight Aware. The passenger was restrained by the flight crew and other travelers, and was taken into custody when the flight landed at Kansas City International Airport.
The passenger allegedly tried to break into the cockpit and open the exit door, before a flight attendant used a coffee pot to strike the man over the head in an attempt to subdue him, according to the Daily Mail.
Passengers who claimed to be on the plane when the chaos broke out shared their experiences on Twitter.
"The lights were out. All of the sudden lights came on and several men stood up to rush to first class. I didn't see the fight just the reaction of the men. I knew immediately something was wrong," wrote Karen Maria Alston.
"I was getting up to go to the bathroom and the flight attendant running full speed down the aisle and yelling to turn the lights on was slightly unnerving," wrote Jake Smith. "I honestly thought it was a medical emergency at first. Wasn't til the info sprinkled to the back of the plane did I know what was happening."
Mouaz Moustafa said the plane descended so rapidly that many thought they were going to crash.
"It felt like the plane was free falling and many feared the worst because people weren't fully aware of what was unfolding," he tweeted.
The passenger was eventually restrained on the floor and removed from the plan upon landing. Moustafa tweeted video of the man being surrounded by police, noting that he was bleeding as he was taken off the flight.
The FBI Kansas City confirmed the man was taken into custody. It's unclear what, if any, charges he is facing.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants called it "another dangerous, life-threatening incident" in the skies.
"This violent behavior must stop," the association wrote on Twitter. "APFA will continue to collaborate with other Flight Attendant and Customer Service Agent Unions, the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Congress to ensure these offenders are prosecuted to the full extent of the law with appropriate fines, criminal penalties, and applicable flying bans."
An American Airlines spokesperson confirmed the flight crew was involved in the incident.
"American Airlines flight 1775 with service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Washington, D.C. (DCA) diverted to Kansas City (MCI) due to an unruly passenger," the spokesperson said in a statement. "The flight landed safely at MCI at 2:28 p.m. local time, 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."
Airlines have seen an increase in disruptive passenger behavior since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Last year, the FAA received 5,981 reports of unruly behavior -- 4,290 of which were related to face masks. So far this year, nearly 400 reports of unruly passengers have been filed with the FAA.
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