An American Airlines passenger was restrained with duct tape mid-flight after causing chaos on a flight from Milwaukee to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Tuesday. Doug McCright, a consultant who frequently travels for work, found himself in the right place at the right time to help prevent a potential disaster.
“If I wouldn’t have been in that seat or if it had been two minutes later, you know, it could be written about on the news in a whole different way,” McCright said, reflecting on the harrowing experience.
Approximately 30 minutes before landing, McCright noticed a confrontation between a man and a flight attendant at the front of the plane. “You could sense that this conversation was not going well,” McCright recalled. He saw the flight attendant subtly signal for assistance, prompting McCright to stand up and offer help.
Suddenly, the disruptive passenger stood up and declared, “I need to get off this plane. I’m getting off this plane.” At 30,000 feet and traveling at 300 mph, McCright knew that was not an option.
The man, determined to reach the door, rushed toward the flight attendant. He came dangerously close to grabbing the door handle before McCright intervened, tackling the passenger to the ground with a bear hug, according to a police report.
With the situation escalating, fellow passengers helped restrain the man, and the crew secured him with duct tape until the plane landed safely. The incident is still under investigation.