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Miami, FL - A passenger was duct taped and held down following an outburst during a Florida-bound flight early Saturday morning.
The disturbance unfolded aboard American Airlines flight 9948 bound for Miami early Saturday morning, with an agitated passenger capturing attention.
According to sources, the individual, initially set to depart from Rio de Janeiro, was heard shouting distress calls in Spanish, claiming, "Help" and "They're killing me."
Exclusive footage obtained by Local 10 News depicted the scene where an American Airlines crew member and four fellow passengers intervened, restraining the agitated individual in the airplane galley.
Additional videos from onboard passengers revealed attempts to use duct tape to subdue and silence the disruptive man prior to security's arrival.
Upon inquiry, a Miami-bound traveler expressed disbelief, stating, "That is very nerve-racking; it's astonishing such incidents occur."
As of Saturday afternoon, no arrests related to the incident have been disclosed.
Despite the disruption, flightaware.com confirmed that the flight remained on schedule, experiencing no delays due to the disturbance.
Local 10 News reached out to both American Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for insights and comments regarding the event.
In a noteworthy context, the FAA reported a significant reduction in unruly passenger incidents in recent years, noting a 59% decrease in 2022 and an 80% decline in 2023 compared to previous statistics.