Updated 25 May 2025 at 10:14 IST
An All Nippon Airways flight was forced to divert to Seattle in Washington on Saturday after an unruly passenger tried to open an emergency door mid-air and threatened to kill everyone onboard. The flight coming from Japan's Tokyo was bound for Houston, Texas.
Authorities at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport told local media that a male passenger, whose identity hasn't been revealed, jumped for the door handle and attempted to open the plane's emergency exit.
Fellow passengers and flight crew quickly intervened, pulling him back and restraining him on the cabin floor.
The passenger created panic mid-air just over three hours before the flight's scheduled landing in Houston. Reports say most passengers were asleep when the incident took place.
The pilot successfully diverted the plane within 45 minutes, nine hours into the 12-hour journey.
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After the plane safely landed in Seattle, the police boarded the aircraft and discovered that the accused was having a medical emergency.
He was immediately taken to the hospital for evaluation, while the flight departed and landed in Houston without further disruption with a delay of four hours.
As of now, no charges have been filed against the accused, whose identity and health condition remain unknown.
Published 25 May 2025 at 10:14 IST