A United Airlines flight was forced to divert Thursday after a passenger allegedly tried to open a door at 36,000 feet, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and air traffic control audio.
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Flight 1551, a Boeing 737 Max 8 carrying approximately 145 passengers and six crew members, departed Newark around 7 p.m. for Guatemala City, United said in a statement. The FAA said the flight landed at Washington Dulles International Airport around 8:30 p.m. “after the crew reported a passenger disturbance.”
The flight landed safely and was “met by law enforcement” to address what the airline described as an “unruly” passenger, according to the United statement. There were no reports of injuries.
“The flight was canceled, with a replacement flight added for Friday morning, and customers were provided overnight accommodations,” the United statement said.
Air traffic control audio obtained by NBC News captures a discussion of the incident while the plane was still in the air. One air traffic controller is heard asking the crew, “Which door did the passenger try to open?”
A crew member is heard responding that it was “Door 2L at 36,000 feet,” adding that the passenger then assaulted another person on the flight.
As part of the FAA’s reauthorization bill, the agency can propose fines of up to $43,658 per violation for unruly passenger cases. The FAA has said that a single incident can result in multiple violations.
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