American Airlines flight diverted to Raleigh due to “unruly” passenger
An American Airlines flight from Jacksonville, Florida, to Washington, D.C., was forced to divert to Raleigh, North Carolina, due to an “unruly customer,” the airline said Wednesday.
The passenger was removed from the flight by local law enforcement at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the airline said. According to the airport, the Embraer E170 landed at around 3:40 p.m. ET. After the passenger was taken into custody, the plane was cleared to continue its flight to Washington, D.C.
The FBI’s Charlotte field office responded to the incident, the bureau said in a statement. “The FBI is currently conducting interviews to gather the facts and will consult with the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina to determine if federal charges will be filed,” the FBI said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was also investigating the incident.
It was not immediately clear what the passenger did to cause the flight to be diverted.
Katie Krupnik and Jeff Pegues contributed reporting.