American Airlines Makes Emergency Landing After ‘Disruptive Passenger’ Creates Crisis

An American Airlines plane in a file photograph. Mike Blake/Reuters

An American Airlines flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport diverted to Denver International Airport on Sept. 20 night after a passenger in crisis was reported to the authorities.

The American Airlines confirmed the incident in an email to The Epoch Times. “American Airlines Flight 2408 from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) diverted to Denver International Airport (DEN) due to a disruptive passenger,” said the airlines’ spokesperson.

The Airlines said law enforcement took control of the situation and the flight re-departed.

“Thank you to our crew members for taking care of our customers during this situation,” the Airlines spokesperson said.

American Airlines sign at Denver International Airport in Denver, on Dec. 9, 2013. Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images

The Denver Police Department confirmed that it responded to a call of a disturbance on Friday.

“When officers contacted the passenger, it was determined that it was a medical call due to the person being in crisis,” a police spokesperson told the Epoch Times in a statement.

The police said the passenger was transported to the hospital and no charges were filed against him.

On Friday a passenger with the Twitter handle, @waterallies shared a video captioned: “Someone’s smoking pot on @AmericanAir flight to #minneapolis #americanairlines.”

To this, American Airlines replied, “We’d like to look into this. Please DM your flight info so we can follow up.”

The passenger confirmed on Twitter that he was on flight AA2408. “All I can say that it was a [expletive] scary experience.”

Neither American Airlines nor law enforcement confirmed if the passenger was smoking marijuana onboard.

Stock image of American Airlines. Bilaleldaou/Pixabay

In another bizarre incident that happened on American Airlines, a flight attendant had to get five stitches after a passenger’s emotional support dog bit him as he tried to help its owner on July 22.

The episode happened on flight 3306 from Dallas/Fort Worth to Piedmont Triad International Airport, a spokesperson of American Airlines told The Epoch Times via email.

The unidentified male attendant was assisting a passenger when the emotional support dog bit him on the left hand.

“The flight attendant was examined by medical personnel upon arrival at Piedmont Triad, but did not require any treatment—he was cleared to return to DFW. Upon return to DFW, the flight attendant subsequently received five stitches,” the spokesperson said.

The breed of the dog remained unclear.

The flight attendant is a member of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) and the association said in a press statement that the incident was “unacceptable and inexcusable.”