Moment fearless passengers tackle man to the floor then duct tape him after he tried to open the emergency door mid-flight on American Airlines plane to Chicago
- Did you witness the incident? Email miriam.kuepper@mailonline.co.uk
This is the moment fearless passengers knocked a man to the ground and duct-taped him after he tried to open the door during an American Airlines flight to Chicago.
Footage shows five men on American Airlines Flight 1219 restraining the unruly passenger after he tried to open the emergency exit door 30 minutes after the plane took off from Albuquerque International Sunport.
Due to the incident, in which fellow passengers pinned the man down with duck tape, the Boeing 737 was forced to return to New Mexico, landing back in Albuquerque yesterday at 2:40 PM MST.
One of the intrepid passengers who took on the man was Zach Etkind, host of the Barstool Sports series Donnie Does.
He shared footage of the incident on to open.
Did you witness the incident? Email miriam.kuepper@mailonline.co.uk
Footage shows five men on American Airlines Flight 1219 restraining an unruly passenger after he tried to open the emergency exit door, 30 minutes after the plane took off from Albuquerque International Sunport to Chicago
An American Airlines crew member was seen on video using duct tape to restrain the unnamed man’s legs and tightening cuffs over his hands
“Me and five other guys had to wrestle him down the aisle, tape his legs and put flexible cuffs on him.”
After his heroic intervention, Etkind said Fox news: ‘There was just too much going on at this point to panic, but it was very scary.’
He said he was about to fall asleep when the commotion surrounding the unruly passenger caused him to jump from his seat and help other airmen who were trying to subdue the man.
“So I jumped out of my seat, ran over, and we probably had about four or five guys trying to take this guy off who was clinging to and pulling the emergency door handle,” he added.
“Once we got him out the door, we walked him down the aisle and we all held his legs and arms.”
Footage shows the unruly passenger being led away and arrested by local law enforcement officers
An American Airlines crew member was seen on video using duct tape to restrain the unnamed man’s legs and tightening cuffs over his hands.
The man was placed in an empty row of seats at the back of the plane until the plane landed back in Albuquerque.
Footage shows him being led away and arrested by local law enforcement officers.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Division is reportedly investigating the incident.
DailyMail.com has contacted American Airlines for comment.