‘Hijack attempt’ on US flight captured on video

A United Airlines Boeing 737. Picture: United Airlines

United Airlines Flight 1074 left Washington D.C.’s Dulles Airport on Monday night bound for Dever International Airport, before the incident forced the pilot to turn the plane back towards Dulles.

According to passengers on the Boeing 737 plane, a man rushed towards the cockpit but was subdued by other passengers before he could reach the cockpit door.

Airport security personnel met the flight when it landed back at Dulles.

Luke Punzenberger, spokesman for United Airlines, confirmed that a ‘passenger failed to comply with crew instructions’, adding: “Local law enforcement officials met the aircraft at the gate and detained the passenger.

“We will accommodate the remaining customers to Denver on Tuesday morning.”

Flight 1074 had 33 passengers and six crew members on board, Punzenberger added.

No further information was given about the incident, but one traveller told NBC News that the man had claimed he had a bomb after being subdued by other passengers.

Donna Tellam, who was also on the flight, told ABC News that two men grabbed the disruptive passenger and pinned him down, adding: “One held his feet and the other one kind of laid on top of him and then the flight attendants went and got some plastic restraints for his arms.

“At one point when his head was down he said there were jihadists in the cargo hold and he did say jihad a couple times.”

Video has emerged of what appears to be the man being restrained, while a law enforcement official speaks to him.

Reddit user ill_D posted a video, adding: “This just happened, my father was on the plane and took this picture. Will post videos and more pictures if people are interested. He was screaming and sprinting towards the cockpit. Several large passengers tackled him before he even reached the door.”

Dulles airport spokeswoman Kimberly Gibbs confirmed that the passenger had been taken to a nearby hospital for observation.