After taking off from Newark Liberty International Airport, a United Airlines flight experienced a serious incident when an unruly passenger reportedly attempted to open a door at 36,000 feet and assaulted another traveler.
The pilot of United Flight 1551, which was heading to Guatemala City, had to make an emergency landing at Washington Dulles on Thursday night, according to the airline.
The Boeing 737 Max 8, with 145 passengers and six crew members onboard, left Newark around 6:46 p.m. but landed unexpectedly in Dulles less than two hours later.
While descending into Dulles, the pilot communicated the onboard situation to air traffic controllers, with audio of the exchange being shared on social media. The controller inquired which door the passenger was trying to open.
“Door, 2L, at 36,000 feet; [the passenger] assaulted another passenger,” the pilot reported.
When asked if there were any injuries aboard, the pilot responded, “Not to our knowledge.”
A spokesperson for United mentioned that the plane landed safely and was met by law enforcement to address the situation involving the unruly passenger.
The flight was subsequently canceled, and passengers were provided an alternative flight for Friday morning along with overnight accommodation.
This incident contributes to a troubling pattern for United Airlines, which faced another alarming situation earlier this month involving a passenger who attacked a flight attendant and attempted to breach the cockpit on a flight from the Dominican Republic as it was landing in Newark.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) states that those who assault flight attendants can face fines of up to $43,658.
This year has seen 608 reports of unruly passengers, compared to 1,621 last year and 2,096 in 2024. In 2021, a staggering 5,973 reports were logged, marking the highest in a decade as air travel picked up following the pandemic’s early phases.
The newspaper has reached out to the Washington Metropolitan Area Airports Authority for further comments.
