Flight from London to Cancun lands in Maine after fight breaks out on board
A flight traveling from Cancun, Mexico, in London was forced to turn away and end in Maine this week after two passengers on board started to fight.
The emergency landing around 9:30 p.m. (01: 30 GMT) on Tuesday resulted in the constraint of 267 passengers aboard the night in Bangor, in Maine.
As the flight landed in the American coastal state, the crew on board was due to a stoppage. The airline then brought a rescue team for the flight, which finally took off at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
The two passengers involved in the fight did not face criminal charges. However, they were both “returned to their country of origin on separate outgoing flights”.
The 787 Dreamliner, operated by British airline Tui, landed safely at Gatwick airport in London later on Wednesday.
“This incident involved a foreign flight to foreigner which has turned away due to an altercation in flight between two passengers,” said a customs spokesperson and the protection of American borders (CBP). “Upon their arrival, CBP agents withdrew the two individuals from the plane. Although no criminal accusation was filed, the CBP treated the two subjects for accelerated withdrawal.”
The pilot’s audio recordings expressing themselves with air traffic control before emergency landing show that it was a few minutes between the moment when the pilot asked to land in Maine and that ground officials directed them to a track.
“The cockpit is safe and there are two passengers who are fighting and the crew has roughly controlled them,” said the pilot.
After a little back and forth, the air traffic controller on the ground in Maine says that the safety of the pilot will wait on the ground when the plane will land.
