American Airlines flight diverted to Raleigh airport due to disruptive passenger

On Wednesday, American Airlines flight 3444 was en route to Washington, D.C., but was diverted to Raleigh, North Carolina because of security concerns. According to CNN, a disruptive passenger was the cause of the flight’s emergency landing.

United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg quote tweeted a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration and confirmed that the disruption was categorized as a “Level 4.”

CNN shared a statement from Raleigh-Durham International Airport. “At approximately 3:41 p.m., flight AA 3444 departing Jacksonville to Washington, D.C., diverted to RDU due to a disruptive passenger. Upon landing, the plane was directed to gate C9 where law enforcement boarded the aircraft and took the suspect into custody.”

Thirty-six-year-old Tiffany Michelle Miles was taken into custody after being removed from the plane. A source told CNN they believed “she was having a panic attack.”

Officials reviewed the scanner audio from the disrupted flight. They claimed they could hear Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Police saying the passenger “tried to breach the cockpit” and was “being somewhat restrained by the flight crew and other passengers.”

Kara Rosario, a passenger on AA flight 3444, told ABC11 that the disruptive passenger was upset with the flight crew because they weren’t serving her drink. Flight attendants tried to calm Miles down when another passenger stepped in. Rosario stated the passenger “heard the commotion and went up to first class to assist and see if he could help at all.”

“He wasn’t a marshal at all or police officer, just a citizen who was trying to help defuse the situation,” Rosario continued. “You could feel that we were in it together and were willing to do what was needed but the gentleman behind me was the first to get up and take matters into his own hands.”

American Airlines spokesperson Derek Walls released a statement on behalf of the airline regarding their crew’s efficient response. “Safety and security are our top priorities, and we thank our customers for their cooperation and our team members for their professionalism in managing a difficult situation.”

The FBI Charlotte Field Office was on the ground at RDU when the plane landed to assist with the incident. Shelley Lynch, Public Affairs Specialist for the FBI Charlotte office, released a statement regarding their activity in the investigation.

“The FBI is currently conducting interviews to gather the facts and will consult with the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina to determine if federal charges will be filed.”

ABC11 stated that after the passenger was removed, the flight was cleared with plans to resume normal operations but was ultimately canceled.

Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her bylines include “person of interest” interviews, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything Beyonce.

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This story was originally published February 23, 2023 at 11:45 AM.