Unruly passengers disrupt United Airlines flight to Minneapolis, plane seeks FBI help

A United Airlines flight bound for Minneapolis with 147 passengers and six crew members had to be diverted Friday night after an unruly passenger tried to get into the cockpit. The flight was diverted to Wisconsin’s Dane County Regional Airport for an emergency landing to clear the disruptive flyers. Authorities called the FBI to handle the matter.An FBI spokesman in Milwaukee said the agency was notified that the flight was being rerouted. Its Madison office and local law enforcement responded to the airport.An official with the Dane County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the plane requested law enforcement assistance.“The Dane County Sheriff’s Office took a suspect into custody and passengers subsequently resumed the flight,” an FBI spokesperson said.A United Airlines spokesman said flight UA2005 from Chicago “landed safely in Madison, Wisconsin to address a safety concern involving an unruly passenger.” No injuries were reported among the 147 passengers and six crew members on board.Air traffic control audio obtained by NBC News captured discussions between ground and flight crews as law enforcement officers rushed to the scene of the incident.“I don’t believe they ever handcuffed him, but after multiple attempts to break into the cockpit, they finally got him under control,” a crew member said. “I believe at this point he was sitting in a seat with law enforcement on both sides.”The flight continued to Minneapolis, landing early Saturday morning, according to FlightAware.