First passengers in overturned Delta flight sue, alleging negligence
Lourens released himself and fell to the ceiling of the aircraft, which seconds earlier had been above his head. By then, he was 'drenched with jet fuel,' according to a new lawsuit.
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New York Times
19-07-2025
- New York Times
Plane Is Diverted After Man Threatens to Kill Flight Attendant, Authorities Say
A jet plane traveling to Detroit from Omaha on Thursday evening was forced to make an emergency landing after a 23-year-old passenger shoved a flight attendant, threatened to kill him and lunged in an apparent effort to open an emergency exit door midflight, according to the authorities and another passenger. The man, Mario Nikprelaj of Elkhorn, Neb., was arrested by the police in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after the plane touched down at Eastern Iowa Airport, the authorities said. He was charged with several crimes, including assault and disorderly conduct. Jonathan Spencer Van der Waarden, a passenger on Flight 3612, which was operated by SkyWest Airlines, an independent carrier that runs regional jets for Delta Air Lines as Delta Connection, was flying home to Michigan after a work trip. He said in an interview on Friday that Mr. Nikprelaj's behavior had been erratic from the beginning of the flight. He said that Mr. Nikprelaj had unfastened his seatbelt and stood up during takeoff. Then, during drink service, Mr. Nikprelaj, who was seated in the exit row, prompted panic among passengers when he lunged for an emergency exit in an apparent attempt to fling it open, Mr. Van der Waarden said. 'One guy is yelling: 'Hey, we need help back here! He's trying to open the door,'' Mr. Van der Waarden said. Mr. Van der Waarden said that he felt the plane suddenly being diverted when a pilot, citing an unruly passenger's behavior, announced that it would be landing in Cedar Rapids. As the plane was descending, Mr. Nikprelaj began marching toward the front of the plane and again quarreled with passengers and crew members who tried to stop him, Mr. Van der Waarden said. 'He was just being very aggressive,' he said. Video captured by Mr. Van der Waarden from inside the plane after landing showed a man in a white T-shirt, hands bound behind him, being escorted off the plane by law enforcement officers. It remained grounded for more than two hours while the police took statements from passengers and the crew, Mr. Van der Waarden said. SkyWest Airlines confirmed in a statement that the flight had been diverted 'due to an unruly customer' and that the plane later continued to Detroit after that person was detained. In addition to assault and disorderly conduct, Mr. Nikprelaj was charged with harassment, unlawful possession of prescription medication and a failure to affix a proper tax stamp on 41 pills of Alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug commonly sold as Xanax, which the police found on him at the time of the arrest, according to a criminal complaint filed on Friday by the Linn County assistant attorney. The Cedar Rapids Police Department said on Thursday that Mr. Nikprelaj could face additional charges. Mr. Nikprelaj could not be reached for comment on Friday, and it was not clear if he had a lawyer. He appeared before a judge on Friday morning, and a judge set his bail at $10,000.
New York Post
18-07-2025
- New York Post
Delta flight to Detroit diverted after unruly passenger tries to open exit door, fights with attendant
A Delta Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Iowa after a passenger tried to open an emergency exit door mid-air — and got into a fight with a flight attendant. Delta Connection flight 3612, operated by SkyWest Airlines, was about a third of the way through its flight from Omaha to Detroit on Thursday evening when the passenger tried to open the door in the exit row as the crew and other passengers tried to stop him, according to WDIV. The passenger was removed from the flight. WDIV Advertisement The pilot radioed to the control tower at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids around 7 p.m. that the passenger was 'in a fight with our flight attendant right now, trying to open the emergency exit,' according to a recording by the website CNN reported. Passengers and crew stopped the passenger from opening the door. He was arrested when the plane safely landed and taxied to its gate at the Cedar Rapids airport. Law enforcement officers aboard the plane. WDIV Advertisement Video shows a man in a white T-shirt and handcuffs being escorted off the plane by police. He was not identified and it is not clear if he has been charged. 'SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behavior as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority,' the airline said in a statement.
CNN
18-07-2025
- CNN
Plane makes emergency landing after passenger tries to open emergency exit in flight
A regional jet made an emergency landing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Thursday evening after a passenger tried to open an emergency exit door and got into an altercation with a flight attendant. Delta Connection flight 3612, operated by SkyWest Airlines, was flying from Omaha to Detroit when the disturbance happened around 7 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. A passenger was 'in a fight with our flight attendant right now, trying to open the emergency exit,' the pilot radioed the tower at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, according to a recording by the website The passenger did not get the door open and the plane landed safely and taxied to the gate. Video posted to social media by a passenger showed law enforcement escorting a man off the plane with his hands restrained behind his back. 'SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behavior as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority,' the airline said in a statement. So far this year there have been more than 870 reports of unruly passengers on planes in the US, according to FAA data. Potential penalties include jail time, fines and travel restrictions. CNN's Carol Alvardo contributed to this report.
