A SkyWest flight bound for Detroit was forced to make an emergency landing on Thursday evening after a passenger attempted to open an emergency exit door mid-air, according to police.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Flight 3612 landed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after the crew reported a disturbance. Police took 23-year-old Mario Nikprelaj, a chef from Omaha, into custody. The aircraft had 67 passengers on board and had departed Omaha at 5:30 p.m. local time, landing at Eastern Iowa Airport about an hour later.
During the flight, the pilot informed air traffic control that the suspect was “in a fight with a flight attendant right now, trying to open the emergency exit.” A fellow passenger, J. Spencer, posted on social media that the man had been disruptive from the moment boarding began, ignoring instructions and becoming verbally aggressive.
Spencer said Nikprelaj stood up and unbuckled his seatbelt as the plane turned onto the runway, requiring crew intervention. He later repeatedly used the call button and began yelling, prompting the captain to declare an emergency and divert to Cedar Rapids. Nikprelaj faces charges including disorderly conduct, assault, possession of prescription medication, a tax stamp violation, and harassment in the first degree.
Authorities are considering further charges. Court records show Nikprelaj was accused in 2020 of assaulting a girlfriend and stealing a snow plow in Michigan. After Thursday's incident, the flight continued to Detroit without further trouble. SkyWest said it has “zero tolerance for unruly behavior.”
