United flight diverted to Chicago after passenger became 'disruptive'

United flight 1129 from Washington Dulles to San Francisco diverted to Chicago after a passenger became "disruptive," United told People. The airline said law enforcement met the aircraft at the gate in Chicago and the passenger was removed.

There were 130 passengers and six crew on board. FlightAware data show the Boeing 737 Max 9 took off from Washington around 7:40 p.m. local time and landed at Chicago O’Hare at approximately 9:30 p.m. After the disruption was handled, United rebooked customers on another flight that arrived in San Francisco around 5:30 a.m. the next day. A spokesperson for the FBI’s Chicago Field Office confirmed that the FBI responded and coordinated with local law enforcement.

The Chicago Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier in the week, a separate United flight made a hard landing in Orlando on Jan. 18; the FAA said in a preliminary statement that "the aircraft became disabled after making a hard landing," prompting a brief ground stop, and United attributed that incident to a "mechanical issue upon landing," with no injuries reported to the 200 passengers and six crew on that flight.

Key Topics

World, United Airlines, Washington Dulles, Chicago O'hare, Fbi Chicago