A Minneapolis-bound United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing Friday after a deranged passenger reportedly tried to bust into the cockpit.
The “unruly” flier tried to break into the pilot’s quarters several times following takeoff from Chicago, leading the aircraft to make an abrupt stop at Dane County Regional Airport in Wisconsin around 9:30 p.m.
“Don’t think they were able to cuff him but were able to get control of him after multiple attempts to try to breach the cockpit,” officials said in audio transmissions obtained by 12 News Investigates.
“He is seated in a seat and flanked by law enforcement officers on either side.”
The man was detained and removed from the plane by the county Sheriff’s Office, but it’s not clear if the person was charged.
United Airlines would only confirm that the “security concern” involved an “unruly passenger.”
Flight 2005 had only been in the air for 90 minutes before the emergency landing and was just 45 minutes away from its final destination, Flight Aware data shows.
The plane later resumed its flight and landed in Minneapolis at 2:19 a.m., nearly five hours behind schedule.
