'Unruly' passenger tries to open aircraft door mid-flight, coffee pot wielding flight attendant takes him down

American Airlines flight 1775 from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. was diverted to Kansas City after an "unruly passenger" tried to rush the cockpit and open the aircraft door mid-flight, according to a NPR report.

The following statement was released by an American Airlines spokesperson:

"American Airlines flight 1775 with service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Washington, D.C. (DCA) diverted to Kansas City (MCI) due to an unruly passenger. The flight landed safely at MCI at 2:28 p.m. local time, and law enforcement was requested to meet the flight on arrival. We’re grateful to our crew members, who are consistently dedicated to the safety and care of our customers and who handled the circumstances with the utmost skill and professionalism."

A flight attendant reportedly used a coffee pot to subdue the passenger, who also tried to rush the cockpit door, as other passengers jumped in to help restrain him.

A passenger on the flight tweeted, "It felt like the plane was free falling and many feared the worst because people weren't fully aware of what was unfolding."

This incident is just the latest in what has been an alarming spike in unruly conduct in the past year. The Federal Aviation Administration reported 5,981 incidents involving unruly passengers, which resulted in 1099 investigations in 2021, up from 183 in 2020.

Here's more about the incident:

Flight From LA to DC Diverted Due to Unruly Passenger

www.nbcwashington.com