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A United Airlines flight from Chicago to Minneapolis diverted to Wisconsin Friday night after a 75-year-old man experiencing a “mental health crisis” allegedly made repeated attempts to breach the cockpit, according to airline and law enforcement officials.
Flight UA2005 departed Chicago O’Hare International Airport around 8 p.m. and was diverted about 90 minutes later to Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, flight records show. The man, described by the airline in a statement to multiple outlets as an “unruly passenger,” was restrained during the flight and kept under control until landing, where federal and local authorities met the plane on the ground and detained him, an FBI spokesperson told The Independent.
Upon investigation, the unidentified man appeared confused and was experiencing a mental health crisis, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office said in a Saturday news release. His family in Minnesota has been contacted and is traveling to Madison to be reunited with him, officials said.
The remaining passengers continued the flight to Minneapolis, arriving shortly after 2:00 a.m. local time. There were 147 passengers and six crew members aboard the flight at the time of the incident, a United spokesperson said.
No criminal charges are currently being pursued, according to the release, and the FBI’s Milwaukee’s Madison Resident Agency is leading the investigation.
The 75-year-old ‘unruly passenger’ appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis and is not facing criminal charges at this time (AFP/Getty)
Air traffic control audio obtained by NBC News captured communication between flight and ground crews as law enforcement responded to the incident.
“I do not believe they ever cuffed him, but they were able to finally get control of him after multiple attempts to try to breach the cockpit,” the crew member said. “I believe at this point he is seated in a seat and flanked with law enforcement officers on either side.”
The Independent has contacted United for comment.