The bizarre item that subdued plane passenger 'trying to open exit'

A dramatic scene unfolded on board a flight after a passenger reportedly tried to bust open the cabin door, only for a flight attendant to step in, using whatever she could get her hands on.

The Washington DC bound flight made an emergency landing in Kansas City in Missouri, after departing from Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon (local time).

One passenger who chronicled the emergency landing on Twitter described the debacle as a "near disaster" and said one passenger attempted to open the door mid-flight.

Mouaz Moustafa said on Twitter other passengers and flight attendants stepped in and subdued the passenger using an item from the plane's galley.

"The FBI have boarded flight #AA1775 and are going through the scene, after a flight attendant used a coffee pot to strike a middle-aged man multiple times who was attempting to open the plane door," he said.

Mr Moustafa said the "great" pilot of the American Airlines flight told him he tried to bring the plane down as soon as he could as the passenger tried to get into the cockpit.

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Another passenger said she was "truly shaken up" from the emergency landing.

"All of the sudden lights came on and several men stood up to rush to first class. I didn’t see the fight just the reaction of the men. I knew immediately something was wrong," she recalled on Twitter.

American Airlines praises flight crew

Another passenger said they were getting up to go to the bathroom when the flight attendant came running down the aisle, yelling for the lights to be turned on.

He said it was "slightly unnerving".

"Then the plane making a hard turn left and speeding up within a couple [of] mins of that def told me something was happening," they said.

In a statement to KSHB 41 News, American Airlines confirmed the incident on the flight, saying the aircraft was diverted due to an "unruly passenger".

The airline said American Airlines flight 1775 landed safely in Missouri at 2.28pm, local time, and law enforcement were requested to meet the flight upon arrival.

"We’re grateful to our crew members, who are consistently dedicated to the safety and care of our customers and who handled the circumstances with the utmost skill and professionalism," the statement said.

Special Agent Charles Dayoub told CBSLA the passenger was taken into custody and said the FBI was unable to provide further comment as it was an ongoing matter.

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