Man breaks into plane’s cockpit, causes damage during boarding

HONDURAS — American Airlines said a man broke into a plane’s cockpit while it was boarding, then damaged the aircraft before being taken into custody.

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The man, who was not identified, is accused of running down the jetway and into the cockpit, damaging flight controls and then trying to jump out of an open window when pilots tried to intervene, Reuters reported.

The plane was in Honduras boarding for a flight to Miami when the incident occurred, CNN reported. In a statement to CNN, American Airlines said, “We applaud our outstanding crew members for their professionalism in handling a difficult situation.”

There were 121 customers and six crew members on board the original flight, NBC News reported. A new plane was brought in to transport those passengers to Miami.

In 2021, The Federal Aviation Administration said they received reports of 5,981 unruly passengers and initiated 350 enforcement actions.

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