An American Airlines plane was forced to divert so that a woman could be arrested after allegedly yelling “We’re all going to die!” and trying to “rush” toward other passengers.
The AA flight had left Miami for Los Angeles but had to divert to El Paso International Airport in Texas – where the woman was taken into police custody – on Tuesday (27 September).
Witnesses said the woman stood at the front of the plane’s aisle shouting at passengers that they were “all going to die” and that they should “repent” as “redemption is coming”.
Daniel Leon-Davis was a passenger on the plane. In tweets about the incident, he said that the woman tried to “rush” at the other travellers before flight attendants handcuffed her and alerted police.
He tweeted: “In today’s WTH (what the hell) is going on in America... I am on a flight to Los Angeles in which a passenger approached the front and told us “We’re all going to die” and then started yelling “REPENT! Redemption is coming!”
Mr Leon-Davis added: “When she went to go rush the passengers, the flight attendants did an amazing job at restraining her and handcuffing her. But of course... we ended up having to divert to El Paso.
“Didn’t realize the fire fighters would then have to check the plane for any danger.
“But I just need to say... this is one of the wildest experiences I’ve ever had on a plane. Grateful for the flight attendants on @AmericanAir Flight AA1125.”
Police and firefighters arrived at El Paso airport to inspect the aircraft before allowing it to continue its journey to LA.
When The Independent contacted American Airlines for comment, a spokesperson said: “American Airlines flight 1295 from Miami (MIA) to Los Angeles (LAX) diverted to El Paso (ELP) after a disturbance in the cabin involving an unruly customer.
“Local law enforcement met the plane upon arrival and the flight departed shortly thereafter with all remaining customers.”
Earlier this week, a released video clip shows a man punching an AA flight attendant in the back of his head in an “unprovoked” attack. The man has been arrested and banned from flying with the airline.
Last month, a man was jailed for 40 days and made to pay $8,000 to the airline after he racially abused a flight attendant – in a row over the wearing of face masks – on board a flight that had to be diverted.
In July, a man had admitted to leaping onto a drinks trolley during an AA flight, before stripping off his clothes in the aisle of the plane – in an incident that saw the plane diverted so that he could be arrested.
