US flight diverted after man rushes towards cockpit shouting 'jihad': Report

A spokesman for Washington's airport authority said the passenger was taken to a hospital for observation

WASHINGTON: A United Airlines flight to Denver returned to a Washington airport late on Monday when a passenger shouting about jihad rushed toward the cockpit before other passengers grabbed him, ABC News said.

United Flight 1074, carrying 33 passengers and six crew members, returned to Washington Dulles International Airport when the passenger "failed to comply with crew instructions," airline spokesman Luke Punzenberger said in a statement.

A video posted online by a passenger showed a dark-haired man with a bloodied face being held to the floor of the Boeing 737, tearfully saying, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

 

Screen grab from the online video

"Don't move, you're OK. We're going to get you off this plane, buddy," a second man says.

A spokesperson for Washington's airport authority said the passenger was taken to a hospital for observation. The man has not been charged and Dulles' operations were unaffected, he said.

Passenger Donna Tellam told ABC News, "At one point when his head was down he said there were extremists in the cargo hold and he did say jihad a couple times."

 

PHOTO COURTESY: ABC NEWS

She said the man was held down by passengers until flight attendants manged to put plastic restraints on his arms.

CNN played audio from LiveATC.net, which provides air traffic control communications online, of the pilot's radio traffic with controllers.

"We’re declaring an emergency due to a passenger disturbance," the pilot said.

"He ran forward towards the cockpit and he is being restrained by other passengers... The cockpit is secure and we would just like to return to the airport and have authorities meet him."

The airport authority spokesperson said the plane later continued on to Denver and the passengers were rebooked by United.