A flight scheduled to land in New Jersey on Saturday never took off from Edinburgh, Scotland, as one of the pilots was placed in handcuffs when airport security found a Taser in his bag.
The pilot of the United Airlines flight was not identified by authorities but was arrested and escorted out of the airport by four armed police on Saturday, according to Edinburgh Live.
It was confirmed that the pilot, 56, was from the United States and charged with a firearms offense, as Tasers are illegal to possess in the United Kingdom.
As a result of the arrest, the flight, which was scheduled to take off at 9:25 a.m., was quickly canceled, stranding passengers.
United Airlines confirmed to the New York Post that the pilot had been “removed from service.”
United Airlines confirmed the pilot had been “removed from service.”
“This employee was immediately removed from service, and we are fully cooperating with local authorities,” the airline said.
Scotland Police confirmed the pilot’s arrest, adding that a report will be given to the country’s public prosecutor’s office.
The pilot is scheduled to appear in Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday.