United Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Passenger Tries to Open Door

A United Airlines flight from Newark Liberty International Airport was forced to make an emergency landing at Washington Dulles on Thursday night after a passenger allegedly tried to open a cabin door at 36,000 feet and assaulted another traveler. m. with 145 passengers and six crew members. m.

As the aircraft descended, the pilot told air traffic controllers that the passenger had attempted to open Door 2L at cruising altitude before assaulting a fellow passenger. The pilot reported no known injuries aboard. " — Pilot of Flight 1551, Thursday night (CBS News) United Airlines stated that law enforcement met the aircraft to address the unruly passenger.

The airline canceled the flight and provided overnight accommodations for passengers, with a replacement flight scheduled for Friday morning.

The FBI responded to the incident at Dulles Airport but did not release additional details. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has not yet commented. This event follows another recent unruly passenger incident on a United flight from the Dominican Republic in which a traveler allegedly attacked a flight attendant and attempted to enter the cockpit.

The Federal Aviation Administration has recorded 608 unruly passenger reports so far this year, down from 1,621 last year and 2,096 in 2024.