An unruly passenger forced anAmerican Airlinesflight from Miami to Ecuador to turn around mid-trip.
Flight 2259 to Quito "returned to MIA and was met by law enforcement upon arrival due to a disruptive customer," on Jan. 31, the airline told USA TODAY.
"We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their assistance in managing a difficult situation," the emailed statement continued. The 8:12 p.m. flight turned around as it was passing over Cuba, according toflight-tracking site FlightAware, landing back in Miami shortly before 10 p.m.
American did not share specifics about the passenger's behavior. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office "responded to reports of a passenger in mental crisis," police said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY.
"Upon arrival, the aircraft was safely deplaned and the individual, an adult male, was taken into custody," the statement said. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported the flyer to a local hospital where he was detained for mental health evaluation.
The Federal Aviation Administration has received 126 unruly passenger reports so far this year, according toits website. The agency received 1,621 in 2025, and 2,096 the year before.
"The rate of unruly passenger incidents steadily dropped by over 80 percent since record highs in early 2021, but recent increases show there remains more work to do," the FAA said.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:American flight turns around after takeoff due to unruly passenger
