HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A statement by Delta Air Lines confirmed that there was an unruly passenger onboard a departing flight to Atlanta out of Houston on Wednesday morning.
Initially, Houston Police Department officers were dispatched to the airport after reports of someone breaching the cockpit.
ABC13’s SkyEye flew over the runway, where the Delta aircraft was parked at Gate 32, with multiple police cars surrounding it.
According to Hobby’s flight tracker, a plane with the same tail number was set to depart for Atlanta, Georgia, at 5:30 a.m. Flight tracking information showed that the plane returned to Hobby shortly after takeoff.
In a later update, Delta Air Lines released a statement saying the plane, with 85 passengers, returned to Hobby after a passenger was showing unlawful behavior before approaching the flight crew and other passengers. Officials said the person “did not make contact with or attempt to access the flight deck.”
The Federal Aviation Administration later released a statement regarding the incident:
Delta Air Lines Flight 2557 returned safely to William P. Hobby Airport in Houston around 5:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday, February 18, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. The flight was headed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The FAA will investigate. Please contact the airline and local authorities for more information.
Officials said the flight has since landed at Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.
This story comes from our news partner ABC13 Houston. For more Houston headlines, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine and ABC13 Houston.