SkyWest Flight 3612 landed safely at Eastern Iowa Airport around 7 p.m., where law enforcement took the suspect into custody.
A Delta Air Lines plane flying from Omaha to Detroit made an emergency landing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after a passenger reportedly assaulted a flight attendant and attempted to open the in-flight emergency exit. The incident happened on Thursday, June 17, on Delta Connection Flight 3612, operated by SkyWest Airlines.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials said the crew made an emergency declaration after an altercation with a male passenger. The plane was carrying 67 passengers and four crew members. Citing recordings of air traffic control, ABC News reported the pilot told ground control the passenger "was in a fight with one of our flight attendants" and tried to open the aircraft's door while in flight.
SkyWest Flight 3612 safely arrived at Eastern Iowa Airport about 7 p.m. after law enforcement officers took into custody the suspect. The police later identified the suspect passenger as 23-year-old Mario Nikprelaj of Nebraska. Officers escorted Nikprelaj off the flight in a video showing.
In a release, SkyWest Airlines affirmed, "SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behavior as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority."
Nikprelaj not only attacked the flight attendant but also allegedly pushed and threatened to kill a second passenger and exhibited "fighting behavior," according to a criminal complaint. Officials also discovered him in possession of illegal prescription drugs.
He now stands accused of first-degree harassment, assault, disorderly conduct, and two misdemeanor drug charges. Nikprelaj appeared by video from jail for his initial court hearing Friday in Linn County. He had no attorney and entered no plea. A judge set the bond at $10,000.
The FBI is also on the case but has not released more information. The flight continued its journey to Detroit uneventfully after the arrest.
