A passenger disturbance on a Southwest Airways flight prompted its diversion to Little Rock, Arkansas, on Saturday on one of many yr’s busiest journey weekends.
An individual was taken into custody by FBI brokers, the bureau’s Connor Hagan stated. Potential fees can be the accountability of the U.S. Lawyer in Arkansas.
“The FBI is the first federal company approved to analyze potential assault aboard plane violations,” Hagan stated by electronic mail. “We’ll work intently with the prosecutors at america Lawyer’s Workplace for the Japanese District of Arkansas to completely examine this incident and doubtlessly carry federal fees.”
The precise nature of the disturbance on board the Columbus, Ohio-bound flight from Houston wasn’t completely revealed. However in an interview, Hagan famous that any bodily confrontation or assault on board a U.S. passenger airplane comes underneath the FBI’s purview as soon as the plane leaves its gate.
No accidents had been reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration stated the disturbance on flight 192 prompted the Boeing 737’s crew to declare an emergency and divert the plane to Invoice and Hillary Clinton Nationwide Airport in Little Rock about 3 p.m.
“The plane was met by the Transportation Safety Administration and native legislation enforcement,” the company stated in an announcement.
The disturbance got here amid one of many yr’s busiest journey weekends, when many Individuals partook in Thanksgiving reunions following the tip of pandemic isolation.
The AAA forecast that journey quantity on the bottom, within the air, and on the water would return to close pre-pandemic ranges this week, with greater than 53.4 million folks anticipated to depart their dwelling cities and cities for Thanksgiving.
On Monday, authorities alleged, a Utah man held a straight-edge razor close to one other passenger’s throat on a New York Metropolis-to-Salt Lake Metropolis flight. He was charged with assault with a harmful weapon.
TJ Swigart and Michelle Acevedo contributed.
