A United Airlines flight from Newark Liberty International Airport was forced to divert on Thursday, May 21, after an unruly passenger allegedly attempted to open a plane door while the aircraft was at 36,000 ft.
The United Airlines flight 1551, a Boeing 737 Max 8 with an estimated 145 passengers and 6 crew members on board, departed Newark at approximately 7 p.m., bound for Guatemala City, according to United Airlines officials. However, the plane was “forced to land at Washington Dulles International Airport due to a disturbance by one of its passengers.”
The air traffic control audio revealed a tense exchange between officials. A crew member confirmed that the passenger tried to open “Door 2L at 36,000 ft.”
Later, he also assaulted another person on board.
According to United Airlines, the flight touched down safely and was “met by law enforcement.” The person responsible for the disturbance is under arrest by the authorities.
The flight was later cancelled following the incident. United Airlines announced that passengers were provided overnight accommodations and that a new flight departed on Friday morning.
As per the FAA’s rules, the agency can impose up to $43,658 per violation.
One event can lead to several violations being committed. It is not known at this point if the passenger will be charged criminally.
This incident comes after several others involving United Airlines’ planes from Newark. This was due to a complaint by passengers who were left stranded on one of the airline’s planes in Newark, bound for Chicago, for about seven hours.
2026-05-23 00:33:00
