Unruly American passenger faces charges after flight attendant says he tried to open door in flight

An American Airlines plane was diverted to Kansas City, Mo., over the weekend when a large, unruly passenger tried to force open a door before he was subdued by a coffee pot across the head, a punch to the jaw and zip ties and duct tape, according to a federal affidavit released Monday. The incident happened Sunday afternoon on American Airlines Flight 1775, which was heading from Los Angeles to Washington. The plane landed safely at Kansas City International Airport, and the suspect, 50-year-old Juan Remberto Rivas, was taken into custody. Rivas was charged Monday with one count of interference with a flight attendant. A detention hearing is pending but has not yet been scheduled, the U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas City said. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Rivas has an attorney. A federal affidavit spelled out the harrowing details.

Rivas was allegedly creating a disturbance and walked to the cockpit area, grabbing plastic silverware and holding it “like a shank.” The affidavit said he then grabbed a small champagne bottle by the neck and tried to break it on the counter, before kicking and shoving a service cart into one of the flight attendants. The affidavit said Rivas, who is about 6 feet 3 and 240 pounds, grabbed the handle of an exit door and began pulling the handle. A flight attendant tried to stop him by hitting him twice in the head with a coffee pot. Meanwhile, several passengers came forward to help, the affidavit stated. One of the passengers was a police officer who was able to pull Rivas away from the door, the affidavit stated. Another passenger punched Rivas in the jaw and a third grabbed his neck and pulled him to the floor. Passengers and flight attendants restrained Rivas until they could secure his hands and feet with zip ties and duct tape, the affidavit stated. Rivas was treated for a laceration to his head, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. From audio captured by LiveATC.net, the Kansas City Star reported that the pilot told air traffic controllers that four passengers helped to contain the unruly passenger.