US: Flight attendant smacks 'unruly passenger' with coffee pot; FBI starts investigation

An American Airlines flight that took off from Los Angeles, US, on Sunday was forced to redirect its route after an "unruly passenger" attempted to enter the cockpit and then tried to open an exit door, Daily Mail reported. Following the disruptive actions of the male passenger, a flight attendant used a coffee pot to smack the man on his head, as per Independent. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has started investigating the cause behind it. 

The company claimed in a statement that American Airlines flight 1775, which flew on Sunday, was destined for Washington, DC, but it was redirected to Kansas City, Missouri. As per the witnesses, the passenger attempted to push his way into the cockpit and unlock the plane door. Further, the pilot can be heard saying in an audiotape captured on live air traffic control contacts, “Yeah, he is trying to get into the cockpit, American 1775. We have got four passengers now trying to contain this gentleman,” Independent reported.  

In addition to this, the statement, provided to CNN by the airlines revealed that the aircraft safely landed at Kansas City (MCI) at 2:28 p.m. local time. I went on to read, “We are grateful to our crew members, who are consistently dedicated to the safety and care of our customers and who handled the circumstances with the utmost skill and professionalism." 

FBI started investigating the incident

Furthermore, Joe McBride, a spokesman for the Kansas City Aviation Department, informed CNN that the passenger was "interfering with the flight crew", and that the event will be investigated by the FBI. The FBI verified the event in a statement to CNN, adding that the suspect had been apprehended. 

According to a United States Justice Department press release, the passenger who is a 50-year-old male, has been accused of assaulting and threatening a flight attendant and therefore interfering with the flight attendant's responsibilities.  

Mouaz Moustafa, a native of Washington, DC., is one of the eyewitnesses, said that a flight attendant had used a coffee pot to bash the man over the head and prevent him from accessing the cockpit. Talking Twitter, he wrote, “The FBI has boarded flight AA1775 and is going through the scene after a flight attendant used a coffee pot to strike a middle-aged man multiple times who was attempting to open the plane door.” 

Moustafa also claimed that he has seen the flight attendant shout at another crew member to put on the lights before the jet began descending, Daily Mail reported. 

Meanwhile, as per the Federal Aviation Administration, as of December 31, 2021, the agency has received 5,981 complaints of rowdy passenger conduct from all U.S. carriers. Of those, 4,290 (about 72%) were events involving whether or not to wear a mask. 

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