On Wednesday, an American Airlines flight from Jacksonville, Florida, to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport diverted to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina due to a disruptive passenger. Flight 3444, operated by Envoy Air as American Eagle, was initially scheduled to depart Jacksonville International Airport at 13:45 and left precisely one hour later.
The incident appeared to occur as the aircraft flew over South Carolina at an altitude of 33,000 feet. Based on the plane's flight path, it seemed to initially head towards Charlotte Douglas International Airport, an American Airlines hub and the busiest airport in the state. The aircraft then changed course and descended into Raleigh-Durham, where it landed safely.
The Federal Aviation Agency paused flights taking off from the East Coast and parts of the Midwest bound for Raleigh-Durham in response to the incident until the situation was resolved. The pause lasted approximately 11 minutes, and the resulting delays have been minimal. When reached for contact by Simple Flying, the FAA confirmed it was investigating the incident:
"Envoy Air Flight 3444 diverted and landed safely at Raleigh–Durham International Airport in North Carolina around 3:40 p.m. local time Wednesday, Feb. 22, due to a passenger disturbance. The Embraer E170 was flying from Jacksonville International Airport in Florida to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
"The FAA will investigate."
What happened to the plane?
Authorities did not immediately confirm the cause of the incident. Local news media has reported that the disruptive passenger attempted to breach the cockpit. Radio transmissions indicated that crew members and other passengers helped restrain the suspect.
The aircraft touched down in North Carolina at approximately 15:40, its initially scheduled time of arrival in Washington D.C. Simple Flying spoke to a representative for the airport on Wednesday evening, who confirmed that upon landing, ground control directed the plane to gate C9. Law enforcement officials boarded the aircraft and promptly took the suspect into custody. The airport then cleared the plane to resume its flight to Washington, D.C.
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However, American Airlines decided to cancel the continuing flight to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and accommodated the 50 passengers onboard on alternate flights. A representative for the airline confirmed the unruly passenger was successfully removed from the aircraft and thanked the crew for their assistance during the incident:
"Upon arrival, the flight was met by local law enforcement where the customer was removed from the aircraft.
"Safety and security are our top priorities, and we thank our customers for their cooperation and our team members for their professionalism in managing a difficult situation."
A representative for the Transportation Security Administration confirmed the agency was not investigating the incident and that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was handling it. Shelley Lynch, a Public Affairs Specialist for the FBI Charlotte Field Office, confirmed to the local news that the FBI is currently conducting interviews to gather the facts and will consult with the US Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina to determine if federal charges will be filed.
The North Carolina airport also recently made news for becoming the newest base for Avelo Airlines. The carrier has operated flights from the airport since May last year and will base one Boeing 737-700 at the airport, enabling nonstop connections to six Florida airports.
Source: ABC 11, First Coast News