Frontier Airlines: Chaos as plane forced to emergency land as passenger tries to jump out aircraft mid-flight
A flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a passenger dramatically attempted to jump out of the aircraft at 30,000 feet.
An international flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Miami after a passenger dramatically attempted to jump out of the aircraft at 30,000 feet.
The wild scene unravelled onboard Frontier Airlines flight 3345 traveling from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Chicago on Sunday after crew members reported a “passenger disturbance”, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement according to New York Post.
Panic took over the cabin when flight attendants and passengers noticed a deranged man saying he wanted to get off the plane as he tried to open the exit doors.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Miami-Dade Sherriff’s Office said flight attendants repeatedly ordered the unruly passenger to remain seated, but he allegedly refused and instead stormed to the front of aircraft and attempted to enter the cockpit, CBS reports.
In a bid to diffuse the situation, an off-duty flight attendant offered to sit next to the crazed passenger and keep an eye on his behaviour for the remainder of the flight.
But the ordeal escalated again when the off-duty crew member briefly left his seat to use the bathroom and the passenger proceeded to try and steal his bag and choke him when he returned.
The altercation prompted another nearby passenger, Josh Longood, to spring into action and assist the the other travellers and cabin crew holding down the man.
Video circulating online shows the wild moment the competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt leaps onto the disruptive passenger’s lap and restrains his wrists with cable ties as he shouts in protest.
The collaborative effort meant the man was able to be restrained while the plane was safely diverted to Miami International Airport to make an emergency landing.
“After these pics, he slipped the ties, so I had to hold him down until our emergency landing in Miami. Luckily, I’m a light sleeper and was only a row away when this all went down,” Longood wrote on Instagram.
“Glad everyone made it home safely, hoping my next flight is significantly more boring.”
The passenger, who has not yet been identified, was arrested when the flight landed in Miami just before 12pm local time.
Frontier Airlines said the flight continued its journey to Chicago a few hours after the detour.
“Law enforcement boarded the aircraft in Miami and removed the passenger, and the flight subsequently continued on to Chicago a few hours later,” a Frontier Airlines spokesperson said in a statement provided to The Post.
