(CNN) American Airlines Flight 3444 was diverted to Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Wednesday because of a disruptive passenger, the North Carolina airport said.
“At approximately 3:41 p.m., Flight AA 3444, departing Jacksonville for Washington, D.C., was diverted to RDU due to a disruptive passenger,” the airport said in a statement. “On landing, the plane was directed to gate C9, where law enforcement officers boarded the plane and took the suspect into custody.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said: “The Embraer E170 flew from Jacksonville International Airport in Florida to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.”
The airline said in a statement that the diversion was “due to a safety issue involving an unruly customer”.
According to the airport, the aircraft has been cleared to resume its flight to Washington, D.C. and RDU has resumed normal operations.
The FAA said it will investigate the incident.
The FBI said its Charlotte, North Carolina, office is investigating and “will consult with the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina to determine whether any federal charges will be filed.”
Last year, there were more than 2,300 reports of unruly passenger behavior, according to FAA statistics. Of those, 80 cases were referred to the FBI for criminal review.
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