A United Airlines flight from Chicago to Minneapolis made an emergency landing in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday night after a 75-year-old passenger attempted to enter the cockpit shortly after takeoff. The pilot declared a “possible hijacking,” leading to a swift landing at Dane County Regional Airport. An off-duty police officer on board restrained the passenger, who was later believed to be experiencing a mental health crisis.
Passenger Mike Randle described a tense atmosphere, noting he was unaware of the situation until he heard commotion. Another passenger, Sasha Voronov, initially thought they had landed in Minneapolis but later learned they were in Madison. The crew sought a Russian interpreter to help communicate with the disruptive passenger.
Upon landing, FBI agents and local law enforcement detained the passenger. No injuries were reported, and after several hours, the remaining passengers were reboarded and arrived safely in Minneapolis just after 2 a.m. Saturday. The FBI confirmed that no criminal charges would be filed.
Source link
