US Airline Makes Emergency Landing After "Unruly Passenger" Incident

An "unruly passenger" forced an American Airlines plane to make an emergency landing in the US city of Kansas on Sunday after crew and others onboard subdued the person, the airline said. 

Flight 1775 from Los Angeles to Washington diverted mid-journey to Kansas City where it was met by law enforcement.

"An unruly passenger displaying erratic behavior ... was ultimately subdued by our crew and with the help of other passengers," the airline said in a statement. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed the incident and said in a statement that the passenger had been taken into custody, with the matter "ongoing."

A fellow passenger, who said he saw the incident, told CNN that a man had tried to get into the cockpit and open a plane door. In response, a flight attendant hit the man over the head with a coffee pot, according to the witness. 

During the pandemic, flight attendants have reported a surge of unruly passenger incidents, many involving verbal and physical abuse from travelers who refuse to wear a mask.

Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration logged 5,981 reports of unruly passenger behavior, most of which -- 4,290 reports -- involved mask-related behavior. 

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