Passengers tackle Canadian man after he became violent, tried to open plane doors mid-flight
A plane bound for Toronto has been forced to divert to Iceland after a Canadian man allegedly became violent and tried to open the aircraft door mid-air.
LOT Polish Airlines flight 41 was flying from Warsaw, Poland to Toronto on Thursday when the incident occurred a few hours into the flight, the airline said.
A spokesperson for the airline told CTV News Toronto the altercation began after a flight attendant refused to serve a Canadian passenger alcohol.
"The man then went to aft galley and shouted at crew members," LOT Polish Airlines Press Officer Krzysztof Moczulski told CTV News Toronto. "The passenger was about to hit a cabin crew member, but fellow passengers ran to galley and tried to calm him down."
Moczulski said the passenger became so aggressive that at least five passengers rallied together to subdue the man in the aisle.
Video obtained by CTV News Toronto shows passengers tackling the passenger in the aisle.
Passengers on the flight worked together to tackle the man after he became violent, the airline said. (Suppied)
"He managed to get away and at one point the passenger ran to the plane doors and tried to open them mid-air," Moczulski said.
Moczulski said the pilot made the decision to land the plane in Reykjavik. The passenger was eventually taken back to his seat for landing.
When the plane landed in Reykjavik, police boarded the plane and arrested the man.
In another video submitted to CTV News Toronto, multiple police officers can be seen boarding the airplane and escorting the man away in handcuffs.
'HE WAS SPITTING ON PEOPLE'
A passenger on the flight, who was sitting near the passenger in question, told CTV News Toronto he knew something was wrong when he heard screaming coming from the back of the plane.
"He was in the back of the plane fighting with the flight attendants," the Ontario man, who didn't want to be identified, said. "It was just non-stop."
The flight turned around over Greenland. (Flightradar 24)
"People were restraining him because he was throwing water bottles at flight attendants," he added. "He was also spitting on other passengers. At one point he was yanking on the plane door."
He said he was relieved after the plane landed in Iceland and the man was arrested, but is now stuck in a hotel in Warsaw waiting for another flight to Toronto.
The airline said because of crew restrictions, the plane left Reykjavik and returned to Warsaw. All affected passengers have been given hotel rooms before their flight to Toronto on Saturday, the airline said.
LOT Polish Airlines said no one was physically injured, but their cabin crew have been left "extremely stressed by the situation."
It's not known if any charges have been laid.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.