Unruly passenger duct-taped after trying to open a plane's door mid-flight

An assertive group of cross-country travellers pinned and duct-taped an unruly passenger mid-flight this week after he allegedly tried to force open a plane door at 30,000 feet, according to public safety records and someone onboard.

The tussle on the Milwaukee-to-Dallas-Fort Worth flight is the latest example of apparent air passenger misbehavior – a problem that’s worsened for airlines since before the pandemic, with at least 1,854 incidents reported this year to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Aboard American Airlines 1915, the disruptive passenger told a flight attendant in the front galley on Tuesday’s flight he wanted – he needed – “to exit the aircraft now,” according to a report from the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Department of Public Safety.

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As the man grew increasingly agitated and the situation got more tense, the flight attendant called to the back of the plane and signaled to nearby passengers for help, the report says.

Then, as she put herself between the plane’s exit L1 door and the disruptive passenger, he rushed toward her and the door – hurting her neck and wrist – the report states.

That’s when nearby passengers, including Doug McCright, rushed in, he told CNN affiliate WDJT.

McCright bear-hugged the unruly passenger from behind and pinned him to the floor.

“He was bound and determined, he wanted off that plane,” McCright said. “I was bound and determined, he wasn’t getting off that plane.”

The interveners got duct tape from another flight attendant and wrapped the man’s wrists, knees and ankles together to subdue him, then held him for about 30 minutes, according to the report and an account McCright posted online.

After the plane landed safely at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, FBI and airport Department of Public Safety agents boarded it, detained the passenger and took him for a mental evaluation, the report says.

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The FAA will investigate the incident aboard the Airbus A319, it told CNN in a statement.

“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we thank our team members and customers for managing a difficult situation,” American Airlines told CNN in a statement.

Unruly passengers posed a serious problem to airlines before the pandemic – and it’s even worse now.

The FAA has a zero tolerance policy for unruly passenger behavior, which surged to a record high in 2021, with nearly 6,000 incidents reported. Reports have declined significantly since then, but 2023 still saw more than 2,000 incidents, FAA figures show. In 2023, just over 400 enforcement actions were initiated and US$7.5 million in fines were levied against such passengers.

Just last month, a man was charged in the unprovoked beating of a passenger aboard a United Airlines flight after he repeatedly punched the person until blood was drawn.

In September, a passenger allegedly tried to choke a flight attendant and “said he was going to kill everybody” aboard a Frontier Airlines flight. The plane was diverted, and the man has pleaded not guilty to federal charges, court records show.

CNN’s Christine Sever, Pete Muntean and Marnie Hunter contributed to this report