United Airlines flight diverted to Madison after cockpit breach attempts

A United Airlines Chicago-Minneapolis flight was diverted to Madison, Wisconsin after a passenger made multiple attempts to breach the cockpit. The man was detained by the Dane County Sheriff's Office.

Passenger attempts cockpit breach on United flight, plane diverted to Wisconsin

A United Airlines flight travelling from Chicago to Minneapolis was forced to divert to Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday night after a passenger made repeated attempts to breach the cockpit, CNN reports.

Air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN captured crew members of United flight 2005 describing the passenger as having made "multiple attempts to try to breach the cockpit" before law enforcement officers already on board were able to restrain him.

The plane, a Boeing 737 carrying 147 passengers and six crew members, landed safely in Madison. No injuries were reported.

Passenger detained, FBI responds

After landing, the man was detained by the Dane County Sheriff's Office. FBI spokesperson Caroline Clancy confirmed in a statement to CNN that federal agents and local law enforcement partners responded to the airport immediately.

"FBI Milwaukee's Madison Resident Agency and local law enforcement partners responded immediately," Clancy said. "A subject was detained by the Dane County Sheriff's Office and afterwards passengers resumed their flight."

Officials have not disclosed the passenger's identity, whether any charges have been filed, or what specific actions led to the detention. CNN said it reached out to the Dane County Sheriff's Office and Madison airport for additional information.

Witness describes tense scene on board

Mike Rundle, a passenger on the flight, described a tense situation that unfolded mid-air. A fellow traveller "saw the man at the front of the plane near the cockpit, in their words, kind of reach for a flight attendant, and subsequently had multiple guys hold him back," Rundle told CNN.

He said he witnessed "a little bit of a commotion" a couple of rows ahead of him before people led the man back to his seat. The aircraft then "made a U-turn and diverted to Madison," Rundle added. After landing, police boarded the plane, appeared to handcuff the man, and walked him off.

In the ATC audio, the crew told ground controllers at Dane County Regional Airport that the passenger was "seated in a seat" and "flanked" by law enforcement officers on either side before outside law enforcement boarded.

Trouble signs emerged before takeoff

Signs of possible trouble had surfaced before the plane left the ground. Rundle said the man had "stood up during the taxiing at O'Hare" International Airport and was repeatedly asked to sit down. Crew members also asked whether anyone on board could speak Russian, requesting that person "to come to the front of the plane to help interpret," Rundle said. The man eventually sat down and the flight departed.

FAA notes rise in unruly passenger incidents

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed in a statement to CNN that the flight landed safely after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. The FAA noted that airlines have reported more than 640 unruly passenger incidents so far this year.

The agency said it "investigates all passenger-disturbance incidents" and pursues legal enforcement action "against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crewmembers," adding that civil penalties can reach up to $43,658 per violation.

Source: Google News MT