An American Airlines flight from Jacksonville, Florida, to Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, On Wednesday, diverted to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina due to an unruly passenger.
Flight 3444, operated by Envoy Air as American Eagle, was initially scheduled to depart Jacksonville International Airport at 13:45 and depart exactly one hour later.
The incident seems to have occurred when the aircraft, Embraer E-170, was flying over South Carolina at 33,000 feet. Based on the aircraft's flight path, it initially appeared to be heading toward Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a hub for American Airlines and the busiest airport in the state. The aircraft then changed course and descended into Durham Raleigh, where it landed safely.
The FAA, grounded all flights departing from the East Coast and parts of the Midwest bound for Raleigh-Durham in response to the incident until the situation was resolved. The pause lasted about 11 minutes, and very few flights were affected.
The cause of the incident was not immediately confirmed by the authorities. Later, local media reported that an unruly passenger attempted to break into the cockpit. Radio communications indicated the passenger in question was restrained by crew members and help from other passengers.
At about 15:40, the aircraft touched down in North Carolina and was directed to gate C9. Law enforcement officers boarded the plane and detained the suspect. Then the flight was cleared to resume its path to Washington, DC.