A passenger causing chaos on a flight from Tokyo to Houston allegedly attempted to open a cabin door while the plane was midair, prompting frightened travelers to intervene and restrain him as the aircraft made an emergency landing.
The alarming incident unfolded when the individual — whose name has not been disclosed — abruptly leaped out of his seat and tried to open the emergency exits on the All Nippon Airways flight early Saturday morning, as reported by Fox 26.
The disruptive passenger was reportedly overpowered by other passengers and crew members, who used zip ties to secure him to his seat, leading to the flight being redirected to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington.
“The guy was siting behind me directly…he actually got up out his seat and crawled over the people that were sitting next to him, and he got up in a hurry, so I just assumed he was sick,” a startled female passenger told the outlet of the harrowing incident.
The woman, who recorded the man getting restrained, said two veterans jumped into action when panic erupted.
“They brought him back to the seat and they actually sat him down and zip-tied him to the seats,” she added, noting that the roughly 12-hour flight had only about four hours left when it was rerouted.
“I do want to say thank you to those kind citizens who stood up and took control. I wouldn’t know what to do.”
The agitated man, who officials say was experiencing a medical crisis, was removed from the plane shortly after landing at the Seattle airport around 6:19 a.m. and taken a local hospital for evaluation.
It was not immediately clear the suspect’s condition or if he was charged.
Police were also forced to remove a second passenger from the plane moments before it took off for Bush International Airport, the chaotic flights original destination, KPRC2 reported.
“While on the tarmac in Seattle, a second passenger became unruly,” the airline said in a statement to the outlet.
“Both were removed from the flight by the Port of Seattle Police. The flight to Houston continued without incident. The safety of our passengers and crew are our top priority and we applaud the efforts of local law enforcement for their support.”
