Unruly Plane Passenger Leads to Emergency Landing in Tucson

The plane landed at Tucson International Airport on Wednesday afternoon and was met by a group of law enforcement officers including the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol and airport police

Authorities say a Compass Airlines flight headed to Los Angeles had to make an emergency landing in Tucson after a passenger made a threat to the flight crew.

F-16 fighter jets were called in to escort the plane. The plane landed at Tucson International Airport on Wednesday afternoon and was met by a group of law enforcement officers including the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol and airport police.

Tucson Airport Authority officials say a male passenger was taken off the plane and detained. Capt. Scott Bader of the Tucson Airport Authority Police Department told the Arizona Daily Star the man was turned over to the FBI.

The newspaper reported that the man was unruly on the flight and would not sit down.

They say 80 passengers were aboard the flight that originally took off from San Antonio, Texas.

They were taken off the plane, re-screened and then allowed to re-board the plane and continue to Los Angeles.

"They brought dogs in; it was a big thing once we touched down," said Craig Brown, one of the passengers aboard the diverted flight. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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