An All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight en route from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport was forced to make an emergency landing in Seattle after a passenger allegedly attempted to open an exit door midflight, according to Port of Seattle Police.
Flight 114, which took off around 10:33 a.m. local time on Saturday, was nearly 10 hours into its trans-Pacific journey when it was diverted. The aircraft landed safely at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at approximately 4:19 a.m. PT, according to flight tracking data from FlightAware.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the diversion was due to a “passenger disturbance.” Port of Seattle Police said the incident involved a passenger trying to open an emergency exit door, prompting intervention from both the flight crew and fellow passengers who managed to restrain the individual.
Authorities later determined the person was experiencing a medical crisis and transported them to a nearby hospital for evaluation. The passenger’s identity has not been disclosed.
In a separate incident, a second individual was also removed from the aircraft for “unruly behavior” while the plane was on the tarmac in Seattle. Police and airline officials clarified that the two cases were unrelated. No further details were provided about the second passenger’s behavior.
After both individuals were removed, the flight resumed its journey, departing Seattle around 7 a.m. PT and arriving in Houston at 12:42 p.m. CT without further incident.
“The safety of our passengers and crew are our top priority and we applaud the efforts of local law enforcement for their support,” ANA stated.
Swifteradio.com
