A passenger on a commercial flight from Alaska to Oregon was arrested Monday after he reportedly tried to open the emergency exit door while the plane was preparing to land.
Passengers and crew aboard the Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage to Portland told authorities that 23-year-old Alexander Michael Herrera made “unusual statements” before trying to open the exit door, FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele said.
Mr. Herrera set off an alarm by pulling the door handle. “I put him in a choke hold and brought him down to the ground,” witness Henry Pignataro told KGW-TV.
Other passengers had to help restrain Mr. Herrera by using shoelaces and seat-belt extensions to bind his feet and hands, Mr. Pignataro told the station.
The passenger was then placed into a seat until the plane landed only nine minutes behind schedule, CBS Seattle reports.
Mr. Herrera was charged with interfering with a flight crew and is expected to make his first court appearance on Tuesday, CBS Seattle reports.
