Authorities say airline passenger fought a flight attendant and tried to open exit door midair

A Southwest Airlines passenger waits to check in for his flight at the Des Moines International Airport in Des Moines, Iowa on April 18, 2023. (Charlie Neibergall / AP Photo)

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A regional airline flight heading to Detroit had to make an emergency landing in eastern Iowa after a passenger fought with a flight attendant and tried to open an exit door midair, according to the pilot’s communication with air traffic controllers.

The pilot of the SkyWest Airlines Flight 3612 contacted the tower at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday requesting to land because of a passenger causing a disturbance.

“He’s in a fight with our flight attendant right now, trying to open the emergency exit,” the pilot said, according to audio captured by LiveATC.

The disturbance happened shortly after the SkyWest flight departed from Omaha, Neb., around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, according to police. The flight was diverted to and landed safely at the Cedar Rapids airport, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Once on the ground, local police boarded and arrested the 23-year-old Omaha man, Cedar Rapids police said.

The flight was able to travel on to Detroit later Thursday night, according to a statement issued by SkyWest Airlines, a Utah-based regional carrier that operates flights for major airlines like United, Delta, American and Alaska Airlines.

“SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behavior as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority,” the statement read.