CHARLOTTE — A passenger attempted to storm the flight deck of an American Airlines plane after it landed at Charlotte Douglas Airport last Friday.
The incident occurred on American Airlines Flight 731, which had arrived from London Heathrow around 1 p.m.
An off-duty pilot and an FAA inspector were able to restrain the passenger, ensuring the cockpit door was never breached.
“As someone who is in sales, I’m on a plane every week, it makes me more aware of my surroundings and who is on a plane with me,” said Kara Lea, a passenger on the flight.
“It makes me a little nervous about flying, but I trust that everybody is certified,” said Dan Kenney, another passenger.
Stephanie Brown, an aviation safety expert at Purdue University, emphasized the importance of flight crews being trained to handle such situations.
“They are trained for all accounts, mental health, medical, relationship, all of those things,” she said.
Sources indicate that the passenger was experiencing a mental health crisis during the incident.
Brown noted that flight crews are the first line of defense in protecting passengers by attempting to de-escalate situations involving mental health issues.
Brown advised that passengers should assess their own ability and whether crew members are asking for help before deciding to intervene in such situations.
“One thing you are fit and able, is the crewman asking for help, so those are two big things to assess before making the decision to intervene or not,” she explained.
American Airlines released a statement regarding the incident, saying:
“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we thank our team members for their professionalism in managing a difficult situation.”
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