United Airlines flight bound for Minneapolis is diverted because of an unruly passenger

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A United Airlines flight bound for Minneapolis was diverted to Wisconsin on Friday night to remove an unruly passenger, officials said.

“United flight 2005 from Chicago to Minneapolis landed safely in Madison, Wisconsin to address a security concern with an unruly passenger,” an airlines spokesperson wrote in an email.

Law enforcement officials on the flight restrained the passenger quickly, said Carrie Springer, a spokeswoman for the Dane County Regional Airport.

Deputies with the Dane County Sheriff's Office met the flight when it landed and removed the passenger. Federal authorities are handling the investigation, Springer said.

Air traffic control audio reviewed by The Associated Press showed an aircraft crew member told controllers before the plane landed that “it took some time” but law enforcement officers on board the flight had subdued the passenger.

The Boeing 737 had 147 passengers and six crew aboard. No injuries were reported, according to the airline.

Mike Rundle, a passenger on board the flight, told The Associated Press that the man appeared to be in his 70s and “other passengers commented that he seemed confused.”

Rundle said the man stood up as the plane was on the runway in Chicago. Flight attendants told him to sit down and asked on the intercom if anyone on the plane spoke Russian. Later, he heard a commotion and a group of men were leading the same passenger back to a seat.

“I didn’t have a clear view of what happened, but the person next to me on the aisle said they saw him ‘reach’ for a flight attendant and it took a few guys to hold him back,” Rundle said. He said the man was seated quietly for the rest of the flight. He was handcuffed and taken off the plane in Madison.

“The general vibes were calm, and the flight crew did a great job handling everything,” Rundle said.

The flight continued its journey and landed in Minneapolis early Saturday morning.