Posted on 05/30/2026 9:01:36 PM PDT by Red Badger
There seems to be no shortage of crazy passengers on commercial flights these days.
A United Airlines flight heading to Minnesota on Friday was forced to make an emergency landing in Wisconsin after one of the passengers aboard allegedly tried to get into the cockpit. This was according to audio from air traffic control.
The flight departed from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Friday evening and landed in Madison, Wisconsin, instead of Minneapolis for security reasons surrounding the out-of-control passenger.
Flight tracking data showed that the plane landed approximately 90 minutes after takeoff.
Fox News Reported:
A United Airlines flight bound for Minneapolis, Minnesota, made an emergency landing in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday after a passenger allegedly attempted to storm the cockpit, according to air traffic control audio.
The flight, which took off from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport at roughly 8 p.m. CDT, “landed safely in Madison, Wisconsin to address a security concern with an unruly passenger,” United said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.
The flight landed in Madison’s Dane County Regional Airport roughly 90 minutes after takeoff, according to flight tracking data.
“While United did not reveal the specific nature of the security concern, air traffic control audio from Dane County Regional Airport reviewed by WISN revealed that the passenger made ‘multiple attempts to breach the cockpit.'” Fox News Reported.
It didn’t appear he was handcuffed, but was subdued after numerous attempts to try and get into the cockpit.
According to the Dane County Sheriff’s Department, they learned that there were off-duty law enforcement officers on the flight that was detaining the unstable passenger.
Authorities were able to take the passenger off the airplane after around 10:30 p.m. Central Time, according to the Sheriff.
The Sheriff Department was trying to find a translator who spoke Russian after the passenger was removed.
Is the Russian speaker named “mohammed “?
SOME reporting! WHO is the perp?
You can spend 30 minutes taxiing at O'Hare. The article doesn't say when in the passenger flipped out, but I suspect the aircraft was already at cruising altitude.
Yeah but the flight itself should only take an hour-40mins or so...
Here they landed in WI...hmmm...maybe they circled to assess the situation? That could be I suppose...
Perp is a 75 YO male.
And he wasn’t the only Russian speaker on board.
Also on board, 5 off-duty LEOs...?
Okaaaay....
More here...
I fly out of a couple of central Illinois airports to O’Hare. The aircraft doesn’t get much higher than ~16K feet before starting descent . The airports are about the same distance as Madison. I think it is likely they had to burn off some altitude and assess the situation as you suggest.
Well if he’s a 275 lb, 6’ russian with double cauliflower ears, you might want to be concerned when he’s trying to take down the plane.
Madison was the diverted to landing airport.
Minnyapples was the original destination
I imagine this guy will face some serious jail time, but yes, the word needs to get out.
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