A disruptive passenger forced an American Airlines flight to divert to Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Wednesday, according to the North Carolina airport.
The airport issued a statement saying that at at 3:41 p.m., flight AA 3444 from Jacksonville to Washington, DC, diverted to RDU because of a noisy passenger.
“After landing, the aircraft was pointed towards gate C9, where law enforcement climbed aboard and apprehended the culprit.”
The airport said on Friday that the misdemeanour charges against the traveller, Tiffany Miles, have subsequently been dropped.
“After continued investigation regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident and review of eyewitness statements, plus in-depth consultation with the Wake County District Attorney, RDU law enforcement have dismissed the charges. The dismissal of the charges does not preclude further action by the appropriate federal agencies,” RDU said.
Initial reports of the incident suggested that the passenger was attempting to enter the cockpit.
Two American Airlines flights diverted due to unruly passengers (September 2022)
In scanner audio from Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Police, officers can be heard saying the passenger “tried to breach the cockpit” and was “being somewhat restrained by the flight crew and other passengers.”
The Federal Aviation Administration told CNN on Thursday that the passenger ran at the cockpit door.
Miles told CNN affiliate WRAL she was suffering from “high anxiety,” and she denied rushing at the cockpit. She said she was getting up to use the bathroom after getting into an argument with a flight attendant.
“What person in their right mind would go up to the cockpit while the pilot was flying the plane?” Miles said. “It doesn’t make sense,” Miles told WRAL. The argument was over alcoholic beverage service, which was not available on the flight.
The FBI said Wednesday its Charlotte, North Carolina, office is investigating and “will consult with the US Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina to determine if federal charges will be filed.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted Wednesday night that he was briefed on “a Level 4 disruption” on the American Airlines flight.A Level 4 disruption is an “attempted or actual breach of the flight deck,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA said in a tweet Wednesday that they are working on a rule that would require new planes to have a second barrier to the flight deck.
“Last year, we made progress to require new planes to have a second barrier to the flight deck after the rule stalled under the previous administration. We’re working quickly to issue the final rule,” the FAA said.
Last year there were more than 2,300 reports of unruly passenger behavior, according to FAA statistics. Of those, 80 cases were referred to the FBI for criminal review.