Midair chaos on Tokyo-Houston flight: Passenger tries to open exit, forces emergency landing in Seattle
An All Nippon Airways flight from Japan to Texas was diverted after a disruptive passenger allegedly attempted to open the aircraft's exit door during the journey.
An international flight traveling from Tokyo to Houston was forced to divert to Seattle on Saturday after a passenger allegedly attempted to open the plane’s exit doors midflight, authorities said. The incident occurred aboard All Nippon Airways Flight 114, nearly 10 hours into its transpacific journey, prompting swift action by the crew and fellow passengers.
The aircraft departed Japan’s Haneda Airport at approximately 10:33 a.m. local time and landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport around 4:19 a.m. Pacific Time, according to flight tracking data. Port of Seattle Police confirmed that the diversion was due to a passenger disturbance, and the Federal Aviation Administration also acknowledged the incident, citing safety concerns without elaborating further.
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Passenger restrained after attempting to open exit door
Port of Seattle Police stated the individual attempted to open an exit door during the flight and was restrained by passengers and flight crew. The identity of the passenger, who was later determined to be suffering from a medical emergency, was not disclosed and was ultimately transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
The airline, All Nippon Airways, characterized the passenger as "unruly" but offered no details regarding their conduct or medical condition. The airline stated that passenger and crew safety continues to be their first priority, and they additionally thanked law enforcement officials for their assistance during the diversion.
Second passenger removed on Seattle tarmac
At the time the plane had yet to take off in Seattle, a second unrelated "unruly passenger" event will matter-of-factly state we did I not have the details of this individual's behaviors and authorities stated this incident was unrelated from the particular medical emergency incident .
Once the two passengers were removed from the flight, the plane re-started the flight to Houston, departing Seattle around 7 a.m. PT and arriving George Bush Intercontinental Airport safely around 12:42 p.m. Central Time. The remaining portion of the flight was not reported to have any issues.
