EgyptAir Flight Diverted After Disruptive Passenger Attacks Crew, Tries To Storm Cabin

A passenger on an EgyptAir flight tried to storm the cabin and attack the crew members before being overpowered Monday, reports said. The “agitated” passenger reportedly attacked crew less than 30 minutes into the four-hour flight from Oman's capital Muscat to Cairo.

Officials said the Boeing 737-800 with 78 passengers on board returned to Muscat as the pilot feared the situation would escalate. It was not immediately made clear if the incident was terrorism-related. The crew handed over the passenger to the police after the plane reached Muscat.

The flight later left for Cairo and reportedly arrived four hours behind schedule.

Officials said the passenger, who was Egyptian, was not armed, and was quickly overpowered and handed over to authorities on landing, according to News.com.au.

Egyptian authorities, who preferred to remain anonymous, said they have questioned the crew and other passengers about the incident.

An investigation into the incident is underway.

In May 2016, 66 passengers on board a plane were killed when EgyptAir flight MS804, flying from Paris to Cairo, crashed into the Mediterranean. French authorities in 2017 ordered an investigation into the incident enquiring whether the plane was brought down by a fire caused by overheated mobile devices.

CCTV footage from the plane reportedly showed a tablet and a bottle of perfume placed on the instrument panel of EgyptAir flight MS804.

The probe was said to be focused on whether an Apple iPhone 6S and an iPad Mini 4 belonging to the first officer on board might have caught fire after being plugged into an incorrect socket, which led to the crash.

The flight crashed into the Mediterranean en route from Paris to Cairo in May 2016, killing 40 Egyptians, 15 French citizens, including at least three children.

A source close to the French investigation told the Sun in June last year: “Cockpit plugs are not made for toasters or coffee pots. They’re for professional use. ... At this stage, the combustion or self-combustion of a tablet in the cockpit is the working hypothesis.”

Apple said last year it was not contacted by any authority investigating the incident and there was no proper evidence to link the tragedy to its products.

The company added: “We rigorously test our products to ensure they meet or exceed international safety standards.”