An in-flight disturbance caused an emergency landing of an American Airlines flight from Phoenix to New York City on Tuesday, diverting to Kansas before continuing on its scheduled course, according to the Daily Mail. Flight 622 departed Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport with 128 passengers and six crew aboard.
Witnesses state about 90 minutes into the flight, a flight attendant announced there was a security concern due to a disruptive passenger.
"A flight attendant mentioned there was a security concern and we're going to take someone off the plane," passenger Troy Petrunoff said. "We were in the air for about an hour and a half when everything went down."
New York Indie rock band the Augustines sent out a tweet with a glimpse of the disturbance.
Whoa. Emergency landing in Witchita. Passenger threatening the plane that he wants to kill people. Bad scene.
— AUGUSTINES (@WeAreAugustines) November 4, 2015
Once the pilot contacted air traffic control, an emergency landing was arranged at Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita, Kan., said ABC News. Upon landing, airport police boarded the plane and removed Jason Baroletti, 38, and booked him at the Sedgwick County Jail. Baroletti was charged with federal charges of criminal threat, causing terror and evacuation or disruption.
Baroletti, of Long Island, N.Y., remained in the Sedgwick County Jail on Wednesday morning. He could face charges from the FBI, according to NBC News.
The flight safely arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Tuesday night, about four and a half hours off schedule.
