A Delta flight heading to Houston from Atlanta had to turn around after an “unruly” passenger tried to make his way into the cockpit once the flight took off, and the event was captured by a Black celebrity publicist who just happened to be on the flight.
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According to PEOPLE, the incident took place on Feb. 18 aboard Delta Flight 2557 at around 5:25 a.m. A Delta spokesperson stated that a customer was “exhibiting unruly and unlawful behavior towards other customers,” prompting the pilot to turn the plane around and notify law enforcement.
The official statement from the airline confirmed that after the man made his move to the cockpit and then assaulted another passenger, other people on the flight had to intervene to bring some order and stop the man from attacking the other passenger. None of the crew members was caught up in the assault, and the passenger, who was not identified, never made it into the cockpit of the Boeing 717.
However, publicist Ernest Dukes — who represents Nick Cannon, among others — not only confirmed the incident but also shared his account on social media, including a video clip of part of the incident.
“Flying from Houston to ATL this morning on Delta, we were in the air for less than 10 minutes before a guy tried to get into the cockpit,” Dukes wrote. “Then he ran to the back of the plane, tried to attack another passenger, and got his ass whooped. The pilot made a U-turn in the sky, so now we’re back in Houston, with police everywhere, waiting to take off again.”
The video clip shows the passenger being escorted off the plane as police officers waited for him.
The plane returned to William P. Hobby Airport around 17 minutes after the flight took off. The flight took off after a 90-minute delay.
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