Passenger’s mid-air meltdown forces emergency landing for SkyWest flight: report
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A SkyWest flight was diverted to Iowa after a passenger onboard tried to open the emergency exit and got into a fight with a flight attendant, reports said.
Mario Nikprelaj, 23, from Nebraska, was taken into custody Thursday at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids following the “in-air disturbance,” the Cedar Rapids Police Department said.
“Got diverted to Cedar Rapids because this guy decided to try and open the exit row door then fight the flight crew and other passengers,” a traveler who purportedly was on the plane wrote on X, sharing a video showing law enforcement removing a man from the aircraft.
The pilot of Delta Air Lines 3612 – which was being operated as SkyWest Flight 3612 — was also heard saying on air traffic control audio that a passenger onboard was “in a fight with a flight attendant right now, trying to open the emergency exit,” according to ABC News.
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Mario Nikprelaj, 23, is now facing multiple charges following the alleged incident on the SkyWest flight. (SkyWest)
The aircraft was traveling from Omaha, Nebraska to Detroit, Michigan.
“SkyWest Flight 3612, operating as Delta Connection from Omaha (OMA) to Detroit (DTW), diverted to Cedar Rapids (CID) on Thursday where the flight was met by law enforcement officials due to an unruly customer,” SkyWest Airlines told Fox News Digital. “That customer was detained by local police and the flight continued to Detroit shortly after. SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behavior as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority.”
Data from the website FlightAware showed that the Bombardier CRJ-900 airplane landed in Cedar Rapids about an hour after taking off Thursday night.
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A Delta Connection (Skywest Airlines) Bombardier CRJ-700 regional jet taxis to the gate on a rainy day in November 2015 at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah. A SkyWest flight from Omaha, Nebraska to Detroit, Michigan on Thursday, July 17 was diverted following an “in-air disturbance,” police said. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday from Fox News Digital.
Police in Cedar Rapids said Nikprelaj was transferred to the Linn County Correctional Center and was charged with assault, disorderly conduct and first-degree harassment, among other charges.
Passengers board a SkyWest Airlines Bombardier CRJ-100 passenger plane at Denver International Airport on Sept. 7, 2016. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
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“Further charges are possible pending further investigation,” it also said.