A regional jet had to make an emergency landing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Thursday evening due to a passenger attempting to open an emergency exit door and engaging in a confrontation with a flight attendant.
Delta Connection flight 3612, which was operated by SkyWest Airlines, was on its journey from Omaha to Detroit when the incident occurred around 7 p.m. local time, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
According to a recording by the website LiveATC.net, the pilot communicated to the tower at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, saying a passenger was “in a fight with our flight attendant right now, trying to open the emergency exit.”
The passenger did not get the door open and the plane landed safely and taxied to the gate.
Video posted to social media by a passenger showed law enforcement escorting a man off the plane with his hands restrained behind his back.
Police charged 23-year-old Mario Nikprelaj, of Nebraska with five counts, including threatening and shoving a flight attendant, disorderly conduct as well as two drug charges related to 41 ofpills Alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax, which he had with him.
He appeared in court Friday where a judge set his bond at $10,000. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.
“SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behavior as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority,” the airline said in a statement.
So far this year there have been more than 870 reports of unruly passengers on planes in the US, according to FAA data. Potential penalties include jail time, fines and travel restrictions.
CNN’s Carol Alvardo and Kara Devlin contributed to this report.
