American Airlines flight forced to return to Albuquerque after a man tried to open the emergency exit, passengers say

Multiple passengers aboard an American Airlines flight took swift action when a fellow passenger attempted to open one of the emergency exits, prompting the aircraft to return to Albuquerque, New Mexico, shortly after departing, as reported by several witnesses.

According to a statement from an American Airlines spokesperson, Flight 1219 bound for Chicago had to return to ABQ due to a disturbance caused by a disruptive passenger. "The flight landed safely, and local law enforcement met the aircraft upon arrival," the spokesperson added.

This incident is the latest in a string of disruptions involving passengers on flights, leaving many travelers on heightened alert.

As of the latest reporting, the FAA has received over 250 reports of unruly passenger incidents from flight crews this year. This figure marks a significant increase from the nearly 6,000 incidents reported in 2021, a trend attributed to the resurgence of air travel following the decline during the Covid-19 pandemic. FAA data indicates that over 2,000 unruly passenger reports were filed in both 2022 and 2023.

The disruption on Tuesday unfolded approximately twenty minutes into the flight, according to passenger Zach Etkind, who recounted hearing commotion from the back of the plane. "I heard people yelling in the back... I thought guys were fighting, but it was a man trying to open the door,".

Another passenger, Emma Ritz, described how the individual seated at the emergency exit "cracked open the window that was protecting the handle" and attempted to manipulate the door handle. "He ripped down the handle where it exposed some of the emergency exit and all the wind came rushing down," Ritz recounted.

Passenger Blaze Ward, who was part of the group that intervened, described how the individual had managed to partially engage the safety mechanism of the door, causing a noticeable change in cabin pressure. "He had it pretty well pulled... I could hear the actual difference in pressure – there was a whistling," Ward said.

Several passengers subdued the individual, with flight attendants ultimately restraining him using duct tape and flexi cuffs, according to Etkind. Video footage captured by Etkind shows the altercation on the aisle floor as multiple individuals work to restrain the disruptive passenger.

Upon landing, passengers disembarked while observing law enforcement officers arriving at the scene from the terminal, Etkind noted. Subsequent footage from the incident depicts police officers escorting an individual from the aircraft, although it remains unclear whether any arrests were made or charges are pending.

The flight, which departed at 1:54 p.m., safely returned to the airport at 2:45 p.m., according to a spokesperson for Albuquerque International Sunport.

Both the FAA and the Albuquerque Division of the FBI have initiated investigations into the incident, as confirmed by statements from each agency.

In addition to domestic incidents, unruly passengers have also caused disruptions in international travel. In a recent case, a Canadian man was arrested in Thailand after allegedly attempting to open a plane's door while it was waiting to take off, resulting in the deployment of the evacuation slide. Similar incidents have occurred in South Korea and New Orleans, underscoring the ongoing challenges airlines face in managing disruptive behavior onboard.