US EditionAuthorities Say Airline Passenger Fought a Flight Attendant and Tried to Open Exit Door Midair
LINN COUNTY, IOWA, JUL 18 – Mario Nikprelaj, 23, faces multiple charges after fighting crew and trying to open an emergency exit door, forcing a SkyWest flight to divert, amid over 870 unruly passenger reports in 2025, FAA data shows.
- On Thursday evening, SkyWest Flight 3612 en route from Omaha to Detroit was forced to land in Cedar Rapids, meeting law enforcement on the tarmac.
- According to passenger Jonathan Spencer Van der Waarden, Nikprelaj unfastened his seatbelt and stood up during takeoff, then became aggressive by shoving a flight attendant and attempting to open the emergency exit door mid-air.
- SkyWest Airlines confirmed `due to an unruly customer` the diversion, noting the flight carried 67 passengers and four crew as crew and passengers intervened.
- He remains in custody in Linn County on a federal hold, and is scheduled to appear next week at the Cedar Rapids federal court.
- FAA data show over 870 reports of unruly passengers this year, prompting airlines and authorities to re-evaluate security protocols as passengers and crew stay on high alert.
65 Articles
65 Articles
Pilot to ATC: Passenger Is Fighting My Flight Attendant
A regional airline flight heading to Detroit had to make an emergency landing in eastern Iowa after a passenger fought with a flight attendant and tried to open an exit door midair, according to the pilot's communications with air traffic controllers. The pilot of SkyWest Airlines Flight 3612 contacted the...
Mid-air scare causes pilot of major airline to divert flight headed to Detroit
Mario Nikprelaj, a 23‑year‑old Nebraska man, is accused of threatening to kill a flight attendant and trying to open the emergency exit mid‑flight on a Delta Connection flight heading for Detroit, forcing an emergency landing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
United States: a Plane Forced to Land in Emergency After a Passenger Tried to Force the Door to Open
A flight between Omaha and Detroit operated by SkyWest Airlines was disrupted on Thursday, July 17 and forced to land in an emergency at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A passenger attempted to open the door and caused a dispute with a crew member. He was arrested on landing. - United States: an aircraft forced to land in an emergency after a passenger attempted to force the door to open (International).
Passenger fights with flight attendant, tries to open emergency exit midair on US plane
In a recent aviation incident, a Detroit bound US flight had to make an emergency landing in eastern Iowa after a passenger allegedly fought with a flight attendant and tried to open the emergency exit door midair, as per the pilot’s communication with air traffic controllers. The pilot of SkyWest Airlines Flight 3612 contacted the control tower at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids shortly after 6 pm on Thursday, reporting a disruptive passen…
One flight was stolen after a passenger tried to open the exit door in full flight and beat up with a crew member on Thursday night in the United States.
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