Delta flight to Detroit Diverted After Passenger Attempts To Open Exit Door and Clashes With Flight Attendant

A Delta Air Lines flight had to make an emergency landing in Iowa after a passenger attempted to open an emergency exit door mid-flight and engaged in a physical altercation with a flight attendant.

Delta Connection Flight 3612, operated by SkyWest Airlines, was roughly one-third into its journey from Omaha to Detroit on Thursday evening when the passenger tried to open the exit row door, prompting crew members and fellow passengers to intervene, according to WDIV.

The passenger was taken off the plane.

Around 7 p.m., the pilot informed the control tower at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids that a passenger was “fighting with our flight attendant right now, trying to open the emergency exit,” according to a recording shared by LiveATC.net, CNN reported.

Both passengers and crew prevented the passenger from opening the door. After the plane safely landed and reached the gate at Cedar Rapids airport, the passenger was arrested.

Law enforcement officers were on board the plane.

Video footage shows a man wearing a white T-shirt and handcuffs being led off the plane by police. He has not been identified, and it is unclear whether any charges have been filed.

Mario Nikprelaj, 23, was taken into custody for the in-flight incident.

“SkyWest has a zero-tolerance policy for unruly behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority,” the airline stated.