During an early Saturday morning flight bound for Miami, a passenger experienced an outburst that led to them being duct-taped and restrained by a crew member and fellow passengers.
The individual, originally set to depart from Rio de Janeiro, was heard shouting distress calls in Spanish, claiming to be in danger.
Exclusive footage obtained by Local 10 News showed the scene in the airplane galley, where the crew and passengers used duct tape to subdue the agitated person. Other onboard videos captured attempts to silence the disruptive individual before security’s arrival.
A Miami-bound traveler expressed disbelief and stated, “That is very nerve-racking; it’s astonishing such incidents occur.” As of Saturday afternoon, no arrests related to the incident have been reported.
Despite the disruption, flightaware.com confirmed that the flight remained on schedule, with no delays attributed to the disturbance. Local 10 News reached out to American Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for insights and comments.
It’s worth noting that the FAA has reported a significant reduction in unruly passenger incidents in recent years, with a 59% decrease in 2022 and an 80% decline in 2023 compared to previous statistics.
