E-Paper
Plane makes emergency landing after passenger tries to open door, threatens to kill flight attendant. Watch
Mario Nikprelaj, a resident of Elkhorn, Nebraska, has been charged with five counts, including threatening and shoving flight attendant and disorderly conduct
A Detroit-bound regional jet plane from Omaha was forced to make an emergency landing in Iowa's Cedar Rapids after a passenger shoved a flight attendant and even threatened to kill him, while trying to open the emergency exit door midflight, the New York Times reported. The incident was reported on the Delta Connection flight 3612, operated by SkyWest Airlines, at around 7 PM (local time) on Thursday.
Delta Connection flight makes emergency landing
The man was later identified as Mario Nikprelaj, a resident of Elkhorn, Nebraska. The 23-year-old was arrested by police after the plane touched down at Eastern Iowa Airport. According to SkyWest Airlines, the flight had 67 passengers and four crew members on board at the time of the incident, per the outlet.
The pilot informed the tower at the airport that the passenger was “in a fight with our flight attendant right now” and was making efforts to open the emergency door. However, he was not able to open it, and the plane managed to land safely.
A viral video on social media, which was filmed by a passenger, shows a few law enforcement officers escorting a person off the plane with his hands restrained behind his back.
Nikprelaj has been charged with five counts, which include threatening and shoving the flight attendant and disorderly conduct. On Friday, he appeared before a judge, and his bail was set at $10,000. It remains unclear whether he had a lawyer. Jonathan Spencer Van der Waarden, a passenger on the flight, claimed that Nikprelaj’s behavior was erratic from the beginning.
During takeoff, the accused is said to have unfastened his seatbelt and stood up from his seat in the exit row. At the time of drink service, Nikprelaj prompted panic among co-passengers when he tried to open the emergency exit.
Van der Waarden recalled how he heard a person yelling that they needed help on the back side as a person was “trying to open the door.”
In its official statement, the airline stated that it has "zero tolerance for unruly behavior as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority”. As per CNN, over 870 reports of unruly passengers on planes across the country have come forward this year.
FAQs:
1. Who is Mario Nikprelaj?
He is a 23-year-old from Nebraska's Elkhorn. Nikprelaj was taken into custody by police after he tried to open the exit door and got into an altercation with a flight attendant.
2. When and where did the incident take place?
The incident took place onboard the Delta Connection flight 3612, which was flying from Omaha to Detroit on Thursday evening.
3. Did he open the door midair?
No, the accused was not able to open the door, and the plane landed safely.
