Soldier held after ramming cockpit door on flight
A US Army soldier who had served in Iraq was tackled by plane passengers after he ran down the aisle and rammed the cockpit door on a flight from New York to Tampa, an official said.
The soldier did not have any weapons and there was no evidence that he meant to harm anyone on the flight last night, Tampa International Airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan said.
She said he was restrained until the flight landed, then taken into custody under a Florida law that allows a person to be held without charges if they are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others.
The soldier’s brother told officials that he “has some mental problems related to his Army service,” Geoghagan said.
The brothers were travelling from New York to visit their mother in Tampa.
Information about the soldier’s hometown, rank, unit or service in Iraq was not immediately available.
No charges have been filed yet.
