Air Canada Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Passenger Tries To Open Cabin Door

An Air Canada flight was forced to make an emergency landing Monday night after an aggressive passenger allegedly began harassing flight crew and passengers and attempted to open the plane’s cabin door mid-flight.

Flight 1805, which was bound for Toronto from Montego Bay, Jamaica was diverted to Orlando International Airport. The Canadian man, later identified as Brandon Courneyea, was arrested following a nearly 45-minute ordeal aboard the flight, according to a federal criminal complaint. ABC affiliate WFTV reported Thursday that Air Canada crew contacted the FBI at around 7:30 p.m. shortly after the man began yelling at other passengers for looking at him.

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The incident escalated after he moved to the back of the plan, grabbed a pot of coffee and began swinging it around while threatening crewmembers.

“Courneyea then stated that it would only take one guy to take the plane down and that he wanted to take everyone with him,” the criminal complaint said, according to WFTV.

Courneyea allegedly grabbed a second pot of coffee, at which point a flight attendant attempted to confront him out of concern for the safety of passengers aboard the aircraft. According to the complaint, Courneyea then “lunged for the rear cabin exit door and began to pull the door lever up to open the door.”

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He was reportedly able to be restrained by other passengers and flight crew. Zip ties were reportedly used to secure Courneyea to his seat.

“Air Canada Rouge flight 1805, en route from Montego Bay to Toronto Monday night, diverted to Orlando due to an unruly passenger,” the airline told International Business Times in a statement. “Our crew are trained to respond to such situations and followed standard procedures to ensure the continued safe operation of the flight. Our Captain diverted the flight to Orlando where it landed safely. As this is now a police matter we have no further details to provide.”

The airline noted that while the passenger attempted to open the cabin door, “this is impossible to do during flight.”

Courneyea was arrested by federal agents and charged with assault or intimidation of a flight crewmember or flight attendant as well as interfering with the performance of duties, reported WFTV.