California-Bound Plane Diverted To Denver After 'Drunk' Passenger Yells 'We're All Going To Die'
DENVER (CBS/AP) -- An Alaska Airlines plane heading from Boston to San Diego, California was diverted to Denver after witnesses say a passenger started throwing bottles and yelling threats.
Denver International Airport spokesman Heath Montgomery says the Transportation Security Administration and Denver police met the plane and allowed it to continue to San Diego.
Cellphone video captured by one passenger, shows the man being escorted off the plane in Denver to the applause of his fellow passengers.
Insane drunk or drug fueled dude being removed from our @AlaskaAir plane after disturbing several passengers. pic.twitter.com/f1ugZr65lp
— Rebecca Shepard (@mamashepesq) February 10, 2016
Alaska Airlines officials said the passenger was intoxicated, and they made several attempts to calm him down. The man began yelling, "I'm not a terrorist," and later shouted, "We're all going to die. You're all going to die." When he threatened another passenger, the pilot made the decision to land at the nearest airport, where the man was arrested and removed from the flight.
'We're all gonna die!' Drunk man hurled bottles and threatened to kill other passengers on… https://t.co/H1OdaKyeeI pic.twitter.com/OSEzKzQ4Gh
— AviationFigure (@AviationFigure) February 10, 2016
Passenger Claire Conroy said that the situation was unnerving but passengers realized the man was just very drunk.
"I was trying to think what I should do," said another man who was on the plane. He told the CBS affiliate in Boston, "The best I could come up with was to put my foot out and trip him if he came up forward."
The plane took off after the man was removed, and landed safely in San Diego overnight.
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