A screaming woman was removed Monday afternoon from an American Airlines flight from Miami to Chicago, her presence prompting an emergency landing in Indianapolis before the flight continued to its destination, a passenger told USA TODAY.
American Airlines Flight 1284 departed Miami just a few minutes past its scheduled 3:20 p.m. departure, according to American Airlines online data, but about an hour from the flight’s Chicago destination, the pilot got on the loudspeaker, passenger Jim Saviano of Los Angeles and Las Vegas told USA TODAY via e-mail and Twitter.
The pilot “announced a cabin lockdown and (that he) needed everyone in their seats immediately and needed large male volunteers to restrain a passenger,” said Saviano, a disc jockey who also goes by the name Savi.
A few minutes later, the plane “started descending faster than normal and then the captain announced we would be making a landing in Indianapolis,” Saviano said.
The woman hit a passenger and kissed a flight attendant, he said.
After the woman was removed, the flight continued on to Chicago, according to American Airlines online flight data.
“It was scary because no one knew what was going on, but thankfully everyone is safe,” Saviano said.
American did not respond to an emailed request for details.