An Frontier Airlines flight heading from San Juan, in Porto Rico, to Chicago was diverted to Miami on Sunday night. The reason was the agitated behavior of a 51-year-old passenger who tried to open an emergency door, forced entry into the crew cabin and attacked an off-duty flight attendant. The aircraft landed safely at Aeroporto Internacional from Miami at around 23:55 local time.
Juan Gabriel Reyes, resident of Pahokee, in Flórida, was removed from the plane and arrested. The incident began about 45 minutes after takeoff. Equipes on the ground and federal authorities worked to remove the passenger, who remained in custody.
Agitated Comportamento starts the incident
Reyes started acting disruptive and told the flight attendants that he wanted to get off the plane. Ele headed towards one of the emergency exits and tried to open it. The crew managed to prevent the door from opening. The man then walked to the front of the aircraft and pressed his shoulder against the cabin door.
The stewards removed him from the restricted area. Durante moved to another part of the plane, Reyes tried to urinate on the floor. The crew repositioned him in another seat. An off-duty flight attendant volunteered to sit in the same row and monitor him.
Quando the flight attendant was gone for a moment, Reyes tried to take the man’s bag. When confronted, he began attacking, holding the flight attendant’s head and strangling him. Nearby Passageiros and other crew members intervened immediately.
Lutador MMA helps restrain passenger
Entre The passengers who helped with the containment were John Longood, a former professional MMA fighter and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, born in Chicago. Ele approached the scene of the disturbance while others moved away. Longood assessed the situation, observed that Reyes seemed intoxicated, and decided to take action.
The fighter immobilized Reyes in a controlled manner, keeping the man’s hands and legs restricted until landing. Quando Reyes managed to free himself from the plastic handcuffs, Longood used his legs to keep him in place. Ele compared the action to restraining a child in a tantrum.
- Reyes broke the plastic handcuffs more than once
- Tripulação used seat belt extenders for ultimate immobilization
- Longood maintained control until the police arrived at Miami
- The fighter recorded the episode on his social networks after the incident
Aeronave continues journey after passenger removal
The aircraft remained at Miami for a few hours. Após the withdrawal of Reyes and clearance from authorities, flight 3345 proceeded to Aeroporto Internacional O’Hare, in Chicago. Nenhum passenger or crew member was seriously injured during the episode.
Administração Federal of Aviação of Estados Unidos confirmed the deviation. Especialistas points out that opening an emergency door in a pressurized flight is extremely difficult due to the difference in pressure, but the attempt already poses a risk to the safety of the operation.
Passageiro faces multiple charges
Reyes was turned over to the FBI for questioning. Ele is charged with interference with crew members and aggression in maritime and territorial jurisdiction. At the state level, he faces charges of physical assault. The bail amount was set at $20,000. Ele could still receive FAA fines in excess of $40,000.
The case adds to other records of undisciplined passengers. Até currently, the FAA counts 687 reports of inappropriate behavior on flights in 2026. Dias before, another United Airlines flight was also diverted due to an attempted cabin invasion.
Flight and diversion Detalhes
The flight departed San Juan bound for Chicago. The diversion occurred on the route over Caribe and south of Flórida. Landing on Miami took place without major operational complications. The company did not disclose the exact number of passengers on board.
John Longood, the fighter who helped, said it was the first time he had used his training outside of competition. Ele remained calm throughout the action and didn’t hesitate to help. Sua intervention was praised by crew and other passengers.
Medidas for safety on commercial flights
Incidentes like this reinforce containment protocols adopted by companies. Tripulações receive specific training to deal with agitated passengers. Collaboration between passengers and staff is seen as a decisive factor in the safe outcome of the case.
Frontier Airlines operates domestic and Caribe routes with a focus on low fares. Flight 3345 followed the normal route after the incident, with an accumulated delay of a few hours.
