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NDTV
19-07-2025
- NDTV
Man Threatens Flight Attendant, Attempts To Open Emergency Exit On US Flight
A US plane bound for Omaha from Detroit was forced to make an emergency landing on Thursday (Jul 17) after a man threatened to kill a flight attendant. The 23-year-old passenger shoved the attendant and also attempted to open the emergency exit door when the plane was mid-air. As the situation escalated, the pilots landed the SkyWest Flight 612, carrying 67 passengers and four crew members, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After the safe landing, the suspect was captured on video being escorted off the plane by police. The Cedar Rapids Police Department identified the arrested passenger as Mario Nikprelaj. He remains in custody in Linn County on a federal hold, online jail records show. He is scheduled to make his first appearance on the complaint next week at the Cedar Rapids federal court, according to a report in The New York Times. Jonathan Spencer Van der Waarden, a passenger on the flight, said Nikprelaj had exhibited erratic behaviour from the start of the journey. He unfastened his seatbelt and stood up during takeoff. Then, during drink service, Nikprelaj made a lunge for the emergency exit. Apart from assault and disorderly conduct, Nikprelaj has been charged with harassment and unlawful possession of prescription medication. He failed to affix a proper tax stamp on 41 pills of Alprazolam -- an anti-anxiety drug commonly sold as Xanax, which was found on him at the time of arrest. The authorities added that he could be charged with additional charges as well. SkyWest Airlines confirmed in a statement that the flight had been diverted "due to an unruly customer" and that the plane later continued to Detroit after that person was detained. "SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behaviour as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority," the airline said. Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said a probe had been initiated with Nikprelaj's background being checked. "The FBI takes threats to aviation seriously and we work with our partners to address crimes occurring on commercial aircraft that endanger the safety of passengers, flight crews, and flight attendants," the FBI said in a statement.
Fox News
18-07-2025
- Fox News
SkyWest flight diverted after passenger tries to open emergency door, fights with flight attendant: report
Print Close By Greg Norman Published July 18, 2025 A SkyWest flight was diverted to Iowa after a passenger onboard tried to open the emergency exit and got into a fight with a flight attendant, reports said. Mario Nikprelaj, 23, from Nebraska, was taken into custody Thursday at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids following the "in-air disturbance," the Cedar Rapids Police Department said. "Got diverted to Cedar Rapids because this guy decided to try and open the exit row door then fight the flight crew and other passengers," a traveler who purportedly was on the plane wrote on X, sharing a video showing law enforcement removing a man from the aircraft. The pilot of Delta Air Lines 3612 – which was being operated as SkyWest Flight 3612 -- was also heard saying on air traffic control audio that a passenger onboard was "in a fight with a flight attendant right now, trying to open the emergency exit," according to ABC News. PASSENGER IN CUSTODY AFTER 'DIRECT THREAT' TO AIRPLANE SHUTS DOWN SEATTLE AIRPORT RUNWAYS The aircraft was traveling from Omaha, Nebraska to Detroit, Michigan. Data from the website FlightAware showed that the Bombardier CRJ-900 airplane landed in Cedar Rapids about an hour after taking off Thursday night. MAN CHARGED AFTER ALLEGEDLY ATTACKING FLIGHT ATTENDANT ON AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT: DOJ Both SkyWest and the Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday from Fox News Digital. Police in Cedar Rapids said Nikprelaj was transferred to the Linn County Correctional Center and was charged with assault, disorderly conduct and first-degree harassment, among other charges. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Further charges are possible pending further investigation," it also said. Print Close URL
