American Airlines Passengers Restrain Man with Duct Tape After He Tries to Open Plane Door Mid-Flight

• An American Airlines flight to Chicago had to return to Albuquerque International Sunport on Tuesday after a man tried to open the emergency exit mid-flight.
• Several passengers had to work together to tape the man’s legs and tie his hands behind his back in an attempt to restrain him.
• The plane returned safely to Albuquerque where law enforcement officers took over.

American Airlines passengers had to hold down a man and tape his legs after he tried to open one of the emergency exit doors mid-flight.

Flight 1219 was en route to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport from Albuquerque, New Mexico on Tuesday when a “cabin disturbance involving a disruptive guest” forced the plane to turn back shortly after takeoff, the airline confirmed to PEOPLE.

DonnieDoesWorld/X

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In a video of the harassment taken by a passenger, a man can be seen trying to open the emergency exit door as multiple passengers surround him and try to hold him back. A child can be heard crying in the background, and another flyer asks, “What’s going on?”

After successfully tying his hands behind his back and taping his legs together, at least four passengers drag the man through the aisle. “They’ve got him, they’ve got him,” another flyer is heard saying.

After the flight returned safely to Albuquerque, local police took over, the airline spokesman added.

Another video shows the aftermath: officers are seen escorting the man off the plane with his hands still behind his back.

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X user @DonnieDoesWorld documented the incident in the post and says he was one of the passengers who helped restrain the man.

Sharing a photo of the chaos on the plane, the user wrote: “30 minutes after take off from Albuquerque I was kicked out of my Panda Express and Tequila induced daze by a man aggressively trying to open the plane door 4 rows back.”

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He adds that he and “5 other guys had to wrestle him to the aisle” after they put duct tape on the man’s legs and put “flexi cuffs” on him. “I just safely landed back in ABQ, but HOLY S…” he concluded in the post.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident, according to their website. The Albuquerque Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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