United Airlines flight diverted to Wisconsin after unruly passenger incident; suspect detained
A United Airlines flight bound for Minneapolis was forced to divert to Dane County Regional Airport in Wisconsin on Friday night following reports of an unruly passenger aboard the aircraft, according to officials.
Flight UA2005, which had departed from Chicago O’Hare, “landed safely in Madison, Wisconsin to address a security concern with an unruly passenger,” a United spokesperson confirmed. The plane carried 147 passengers and six crew members, none of whom reported injuries.
The FBI Milwaukee field office said it was notified of the diversion, and agents from its Madison office, along with local law enforcement, responded to the scene. A spokesperson for the Dane County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the flight crew had requested police assistance.
“A subject was detained by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and afterwards passengers resumed their flight,” the FBI spokesperson said, declining to provide further details about the individual or the nature of the disturbance.
Air traffic control audio obtained by NBC News captured the exchange between ground personnel and flight crew as authorities handled the situation. “I do not believe they ever cuffed him, but they were able to finally get control of him after multiple attempts to try to breach the cockpit,” a crew member is heard saying. “I believe at this point he is seated in a seat and flanked with law enforcement officers on either side.”
The incident is the latest in a series of in-flight disruptions across the U.S. airline industry, where the Federal Aviation Administration has reported hundreds of unruly passenger cases annually. While most are resolved without serious consequences, attempts to access the flight deck raise heightened security concerns, especially in the post-9/11 aviation environment.
After the detainment, the flight continued its journey to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, landing safely early Saturday morning, according to FlightAware data. United Airlines did not indicate whether any charges would be filed, and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office has not released the suspect’s name.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.