A SkyWest flight bound for Detroit was forced to make an emergency landing Thursday evening after a passenger became aggressive and attempted to open the plane's door during the flight.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), SkyWest flight 3612 landed in Cedar Rapids after the crew reported a "disorderly behavior by a passenger."
Upon landing, authorities arrested Mario Nikprelaj , 23, a chef. There were a total of 67 passengers on board.
The flight departed Omaha at 5:30 p.m. local time and landed at Eastern Iowa Airport about an hour later.
During the trip, the pilot reported to air traffic control that “the passenger is currently in physical conflict with a crew member and is attempting to open the emergency door.”
According to a statement from Cedar Rapids Police, Nikprelaj faces charges of disorderly conduct, assault, unlawful possession of prescription drugs, tax violation for a controlled substance and first-degree harassment. Police are considering filing additional charges against him.
A video of Nikprelaj being escorted off the plane by several police officers has been shared on social media. One of the passengers, J. Spencer, wrote on platform X: “We had to divert to Cedar Rapids because this man decided to open the emergency door and then got into a fight with the crew and other passengers.”
According to him, Nikprelaj was verbally abusive from the moment passengers boarded the plane. Seated near the emergency exit, he “ignored the stewardess’ repeated orders and became verbally aggressive.”
“As the plane was entering the runway for takeoff, he stood up and unbuckled his seatbelt. The crew intervened again,” Spencer added. Nikprelaj then began repeatedly pressing the call button and yelling, prompting the captain to declare an emergency and divert the flight to Cedar Rapids.
This isn't Nikprelaj's first run-in with the law. In February 2020, when he was 18, he was charged with assaulting his girlfriend in the Detroit area and then stealing a snowplow while it was working.
He was quickly arrested after the vehicle was equipped with a GPS system, Click on Detroit reported.