A passenger was arrested after he attempted to open the door of an airplane while it was 30,000 feet off the ground.
The unidentified male passenger was aboard a Southwest Airlines domestic flight headed for Sacramento, California when he attempted the daring stunt. Flight 722 was re-routed to Omaha, Nebraska where it landed safely and the suspect was arrested, KABC-TV reported.
Another passenger, Monique Lawler, recorded the arrest on her cellphone after they landed.
"Some gentleman just decided that he wanted us to visit the Lord today, and decided to open up the back hatch of the Southwest Airlines flight while we were already up in the air," Lawler said, KABC-TV reported.
The aircraft took off from Chicago, Illinois on Sunday afternoon. About halfway through the flight, the man started acting weird, going to the bathroom and coming out drenched.
Then the suspect tried opening the door while the plane was 30,000 feet in the air, the Daily Mail reported.
"He got up and went to the rear of the plane and tried to open up the hatch," Lawler told the station. "One of the airline stewardess just started screaming as well as passengers screaming help."
Another male passenger, Dr. Scott Porter, intervened and was able to hold the suspect back.
"I ran to the back of the plane," Porter told NBC Chicago. Porter said two other passengers joined him.
"We basically tackled the- I don't want to say gentleman- but the guy who was back there and pinned him down and restrained him," Porter said.
It is not clear if the suspect will face charges. It is also not known if the man was under the influence of drugs or if he has a mental illness.
Lawler told the station she is thankful for Porter and the pilot who landed the plane.
"You heard the guy saying OK, well emergency landing and we landed in Nebraska, and all the police and TSA agents came on and got this guy off of there, and needless to say, we were applauding the gentleman that held him down," Lawler said.
The flight later arrived at its destination after the incident.
