A United Airlines flight headed for Denver from Washington D.C. has been turned around after a man failed to comply with crew instructions and had to be restrained on board the plane, according to news reports.
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United Airlines spokesman Luke Punzenberger confirmed Flight 1074 headed for Denver International Airport on Monday evening returned to Washington Dulles International Airport shortly after take off.
"Local law enforcement officials met the aircraft at the gate and detained the passenger. We will accommodate the remaining customers to Denver on Tuesday morning," he said.
He did not provide details about what happened on board the Boeing 737.
A YouTube video on social media chat forum, Reddit, shows a man being pinned down in the aircraft and saying "I am sorry, I am sorry". He had blood on this face.
A forum user also posted photos of the same man which some users claimed was trying to hijack the plane. Others said it was a prank.
One user, TheSteelCowboy said he called Los Angeles news bureau, ABC 7, which said the man was mentally ill.
ABC 7 News reported the pilots had told air traffic controllers that the passenger became violent and had to be restrained by passengers.
Someone tried to hijack a
@united plane and no news channel is talking about it???
pic.twitter.com/ZHX3IWub6D — Will (@BaddieWill)
March 17, 2015
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokeswoman, Kimberly Gibbs said the "passenger was removed from the plane and transported to a local hospital for observation".
"He has not been charged at this time. There was no impact to airport operations, the plane continued on to Denver," she said.
Flight tracking website FlightAware.com showed the flight, which was scheduled for about 10 pm on Monday, took off just after midnight on Tuesday and has landed in Denver.
