American Airlines Delays Flight From Honduras After Passenger Breaches Cockpit And Damages Controls

The airline said that a passenger tried to jump out a window on the plane after entering the cockpit and damaging the controls.

The American Airlines planes were parked at the Miami International Airport.

The images are from the same company.

American Airlines told Forbes that a passenger caused damage to the plane after entering an open cockpit door after boarding in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

The passenger tried to get out of the cockpit window after damaging the plane's controls, according to the airline.

The suspect was arrested by the police.

The flight was supposed to leave San Pedro Sula at 2:58 p.m., but American Airlines said it was forced to send another plane and leave about six-and-a-half hours later.

The airline said it was applauding its crew members for their professionalism.

Surprising fact.

An American Airlines passenger opened the emergency exit of the plane that landed in Miami and stepped onto the wing before being arrested.

The key background.

Over the last year, airline workers and government agencies have reported an increase in altercations with ornery and violent passengers. The FAA opened over 1,000 investigations last year, up from 183 in 2020 and 146 in 2019. Flight attendants say they have encountered drunk and abusive passengers, but more than 70% of the FAA's reports of unruly passengers are related to the federal airline mask mandate. There have been some incidents that have grabbed the attention of the media. A Frontier Airlines passenger was taped to his seat after he allegedly groped two flight attendants in July, two passengers got into a fistfight over a seat recliner on a regional American Eagle flight in August, and an American Airlines passenger punched a flight attendant in October.

The FAA handed out more than a million dollars in fines to passengers accused of violent or threatening behavior while in the air after imposing a "zero tolerance" policy last year. In November, the U.S. Department of Justice said it would prioritize criminal charges against some offenders, after airline trade groups and labor unions pushed the U.S. officials to crack down on unsafe inflight behavior.