A United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Chicago had to divert to Denver due to an unruly passenger that was onboard the Boeing 737-900ER.
In a statement to ABC7 Chicago, United Airlines confirmed the incident, noting that the flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) had to divert to Denver International Airport (DEN) on February 10.
Law enforcement officials met the aircraft at the gate in Denver, removed the passenger, and allowed the flight to continue to Chicago.
According to Flightradar24, a United Airlines Boeing 737-900ER , registered as N69839, departed San Francisco at 23:22 local time (UTC -8) on flight UA1494 to Chicago.
However, while the aircraft never squawked 7700, which would have indicated a general emergency onboard, it diverted to Denver, where it landed at 02:12 local time (UTC -7) on February 10.
The red-eye flight continued to Chicago, departing the Colorado airport at 07:27 local time and arriving at the Windy City at 10:08 local time (UTC -6).
At the time, the regulator said it had witnessed a “disturbing increase in incidents” where travelers acted violently or threatened to do so.
The incidents allegedly stemmed from passengers’ refusals to wear masks and from the violence at the US Capitol, when pro-Trump supporters, citing disproven allegations that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen, attempted to storm the Capitol.
Dickson added that flying was the safest mode of transportation, and he signed the order to maintain that status quo.
“Passengers who interfere with, physically assault, or threaten to physically assault aircraft crew or anyone else on an aircraft face stiff penalties, including fines of up to $35,000 and imprisonment. This dangerous behavior can distract, disrupt, and threaten crewmembers’ safety functions.”
Year-to-date (YTD), as of February 2, the regulator received 120 reports about unruly passengers onboard aircraft. During the week ending February 2, 1.6 unruly passengers were reported for every 10,000 flights.
However, in addition to the up to $37,000 fine per violation, the FAA can refer cases to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), which can result in jail time.
The FBI said that during flights, it investigates sexual misconduct, assault (including physical violence), interference with pilots and/or flight attendants, and theft.
Potential airport-based violations that the FBI could investigate include violence against other individuals or property at international airports (if the victim or offender is a US citizen or the offender is located within the US) or interference with airport security personnel ahead of a flight.
