Incident on Skywest Flight Leads to Arrest

Passengers on a Skywest flight had to be redirected to Iowa after one individual attempted to open an emergency exit and engaged in a struggle with flight attendants. This was reported following an incident involving Mario Nikpreraj, a 23-year-old from Nebraska, who was taken into custody at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids.

A fellow passenger noted, “This guy opened the exit door and decided to fight the crew and other passengers, so we ended up in Cedar Rapids.” This traveler also shared a video showing law enforcement escorting the man off the plane.

The Delta Air Lines flight, which operated as Skywest Flight 3612, had radioed air traffic control stating that passengers were trying to open an emergency exit and were in a conflict with crew members.

Threat to Aircraft Leads to Detour

The aircraft was originally traveling from Omaha, Nebraska, to Detroit, Michigan. According to FlightAware data, the Bombardier CRJ-900 plane made an unplanned landing in Cedar Rapids roughly an hour after takeoff.

Cedar Rapids police reported that Nikpreraj was taken to Linn County Correctional Center, facing charges that include assault, disorderly conduct, and first-degree harassment.

Both Skywest and the Federal Aviation Administration have not commented on the situation yet. There are indications that further investigations might take place.