Updated Feb 13, 2022 - Economy

Plane makes emergency landing in Kansas City due to "erratic" passenger

Rebecca Falconer

A baggage handler working on an American Airlines flight at Kansas City International Airport while allegedly drunk Saturday fell asleep in the cargo hold of a plane and flew to Chicago. — Photo: Rodger Mallison/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT

An American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., made an emergency landing in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday due to an "unruly passenger displaying erratic behavior," the company confirmed.

Driving the news: The American Airlines Flight 1775 passenger tried to enter the cockpit before attempting to open an exit door, per multiple reports. The FBI said in an emailed statement that the flight was diverted as the passenger was "interfering with the flight crew."

The passenger was "ultimately subdued by our crew and with the help of other passengers," an American Airlines spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The plane landed safely at Kansas City's airport, where it was met by law enforcement on arrival after the crew reported the onboard disturbance, according to the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FBI confirmed the passenger had been taken into custody.

By the numbers: The FAA received nearly 6,000 reports of unruly passenger behavior last year. Some 4,200 of these were mask-related.

This year, there have been 394 unruly passenger reports and 255 mask-related incidents reported as of Feb. 8, according to the FAA.

Go deeper: Delta asks DOJ to add unruly passengers to federal "no-fly" list

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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Plane makes emergency landing in Kansas City due to "erratic" passenger

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