A United Airlines flight en route from Chicago to Minneapolis was forced to divert to Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday evening following a disturbance caused by an unruly passenger, according to officials.
Incident Details
United Flight 2005, a Boeing 737 carrying 147 passengers and six crew members, landed safely at Dane County Regional Airport in Madison to address a security concern involving a disruptive individual, an airline spokesperson confirmed via email.
Law enforcement personnel already on board the flight acted swiftly to restrain the passenger, said Carrie Springer, a spokesperson for the Dane County Regional Airport. Deputies from the Dane County Sheriff's Office met the aircraft upon landing and removed the individual. The investigation is now being handled by federal authorities, Springer added.
Air Traffic Control Communication
Review of air traffic control audio by The Associated Press revealed that a crew member informed controllers before landing that it took some time but law enforcement officers on the flight had successfully subdued the passenger. No injuries were reported, the airline stated.
Passenger Account
Mike Rundle, a passenger on the flight, described the incident to the AP. He noted that the man appeared to be in his 70s and that other passengers commented he seemed confused. Rundle recounted that the man stood up while the plane was still on the runway in Chicago. Flight attendants instructed him to sit down and asked over the intercom if anyone on board spoke Russian. Shortly after, Rundle heard a commotion and saw a group of men escorting the same passenger back to his seat.
“I didn’t have a clear view of what happened, but the person next to me on the aisle said they saw him ‘reach’ for a flight attendant and it took a few guys to hold him back,” Rundle said. He added that the man remained seated quietly for the remainder of the flight and was handcuffed and taken off the plane in Madison.
“The general vibes were calm, and the flight crew did a great job handling everything,” Rundle concluded.
Flight Continuation
After the passenger was removed, the flight resumed its journey and landed in Minneapolis early Saturday morning without further incident.
