A passenger on a Frontier Airlines flight from Denver to Houston caused a mid-air disturbance on Tuesday night, prompting fellow passengers to restrain him using improvised methods. The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, began acting erratically about 20 minutes into the flight, according to passenger Victoria Clark.
Clark reported that the man started punching the seat in front of him after the woman occupying it requested to change seats. Once the woman vacated her seat, the man allegedly kicked the window, causing the interior Plexiglas cover panel to crack. Despite the damage, the flight continued its course to Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport as the window’s integrity was not compromised.
The passengers seated next to and in front of the man vacated their seats due to the potential threat. Clark, who was traveling with her three-year-old child, noted that the flight attendants were not immediately present during the incident. She described her fear and panic, calling for help as she was left alone with the man across the aisle.
A video recorded by Clark shows several passengers, including her fiancé, stepping in to detain the man. Six passengers used shoelaces and flex cuffs to secure the man, who remained restrained for the remaining hour and a half of the flight.
Upon landing at Bush Intercontinental Airport at 11:10 p.m., police detained the man and escorted him off the plane. Video footage shows the man being wheeled through the airport, still restrained to a wheelchair. The Houston police have not released the man’s name or any potential motive for his actions.
Frontier Airlines has not pressed charges against the man, but the FBI has been brought in to investigate the incident.