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As the summer travel season kicks into high gear, occasional disruptions are anticipated. Such an incident unfolded on Friday night when a United Airlines flight traveling from Chicago to Minneapolis was unexpectedly diverted to Madison, Wisconsin, due to an “unruly passenger” attempting to enter the cockpit.
The individual was unsuccessful in breaching the cockpit and was subsequently detained by authorities upon landing in Madison.
A passenger on the flight recounted the chaotic scene:
Notably, eyewitnesses reported that the “unruly passenger” was speaking in Russian, adding an intriguing layer to the unfolding drama.
Air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN captured crew members of United flight 2005 describing a passenger who had made “multiple attempts to try to breach the cockpit” before law enforcement officers on board were able to restrain him.
After the plane landed in Madison, the passenger was detained by local authorities, FBI spokesperson Caroline Clancy said in a statement to CNN.
Federal agents and law enforcement officers responded to the airport, but officials have not disclosed the passenger’s identity, whether any charges have been filed or what specific actions led to the detention.
One passenger described the scene:
Mike Rundle, a passenger on board the flight, described to CNN a tense situation that unfolded midair.
A fellow passenger “saw the man at the front of the plane near the cockpit, in their words, kind of reach for a flight attendant, and subsequently had multiple guys hold him back,” Rundle said.
And, earlier:
Prior to the flight’s takeoff, Rundle said the man who was later detained had “stood up during the taxiing at O’Hare” International Airport and was asked repeatedly to sit down.
Crew members asked whether anyone on board could speak Russian and asked that person “to come to the front of the plane to help interpret,” Rundle said. The man eventually sat down and the flight took off.
That last bit is the interesting part; the “unruly passenger” spoke Russian?