Passengers describe chaotic scene as O’Hare-bound flight diverted due to ‘disruptive customer’

A routine flight from New York City to Chicago turned chaotic Sunday after a disturbance onboard led to the plane being diverted to Detroit, with the FBI on scene at landing and passengers describing the tense and frightening moments.

“They were all chanting on the intercom to put our heads down and hands up,” passenger Huxley Werner said, with cell phone video from inside the plane showing passengers hands on the scenes in front of them. “And nobody knew what was really going on at that point.”

The flight, American Airlines 2819, departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City at 8:59 a.m. ET, and was originally set to land at Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 10:57 am. CT. It was diverted to Detroit Metro Airport, landing at 11:08 a.m. ET, due to a “disruptive customer” the airlines said in a statement.

According to American, the aircraft was met at landing with law enforcement and medical personnel. The customer was then taken off the plane, the airline said.

Members of the FBI Detroit Field Officer were also present at the airport “conducting law enforcement activities,” the FBI confirmed to NBC Chicago. The FBI added that there was no threat to the public.

A tense scene unfolded on a Chicago-bound flight as a disruptive passenger prompted a diversion to Detroit. Rose Schmidt reports.

‘He was ready to attack the flight attendants’

Passengers on the flight, which hours later landed at O’Hare said the disruption began when the plane was about an hour away from its original destination.

At one point, the crew asked if any medical professionals were on board.

“We hear this person in the back screaming, yelling, ‘No, no, no,’ and he can’t get off the plane, and he didn’t take his meds,” said passenger Gerry Sutofsky.

From there, things escalated.

“And then he started screaming, ‘I’m going to blow up the plane, I know planes…and I’m going to kill you all,’ and he was this close to getting really, really aggressive. He was ready to attack the flight attendants,” said passenger Margaret Weinstock.

Customers were given a police escort after landing, with American saying they waited in the terminal while law enforcement conducted a search of the aircraft “out of an abundance of caution.”

“We were just sitting there and not knowing anything hour after hour after hour,” passenger Esther Sutofsky said.

According to officials, the plane landed at O’Hare eight hours after it was originally scheduled to, at 7 p.m. No further details were provided.

The incident comes as spring break travel across the country continues, with O’Hare saying the period is “historically one of the busiest times of the year.