Law enforcement officers, some from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), arrested a Delta Air Lines pilot moments after the plane landed in San Francisco, reported a local outlet.
A pilot who had been part of the flight crew flying Delta 2809 from Minneapolis to San Francisco on Saturday night was arrested after the flight landed, and at least 10 officers from several agencies came aboard the airplane, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing airline confirmation.
It is unclear why the arrest took place. Newsweek has contacted DHS and the Department of Justice via email for comment outside of regular office hours.
When reached for comment, Delta told Newsweek: “We refer you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Main: Gene J. Puskar, Inset: Aaron M. Sprecher via AP/AP Photo
What to Know
Passengers began to disembark as normal, before officers boarded the flight, entered the cockpit, and arrested one of the pilots. The San Francisco Chronicle described the scene as “chaotic,” based on eyewitness accounts.
A passenger sitting in a first-class seat onboard the flight, whose name was taken out in an updated version of a San Francisco Chronicle article, said in an email to the outlet that how at least 10 officers boarded the plane, some from DHS and some who said they were air marshals.
She said officers “stormed the cockpit, cuffed the copilot, arrested him, walked him down the aisle, and ushered him off the plane through the cabin doors located between first and coach.” She told the outlet this was “shocking and unnerving,” as the crew did not communicate to passengers about what had occurred. The outlet also stated that the other co-pilot had “no idea” what had happened.
The flight from Minneapolis to San Francisco landed at approximately 9:35 p.m. after circling the airport twice due to fog, per The San Francisco Chronicle.
A video posted in the aviation blog View From the Wing shows officers in plain clothes, one in jeans and a t-shirt and the other in khakis, a t-shirt and an overshirt, with badges around their necks walking along the aisle of what appears to be the first-class portion of the plane.
According to The San Francisco Chronicle, after one group of officers arrested the pilot, another group came on board to take his possessions.
What People Are Saying
Passenger Sarah told ABC 7: “They barged through and stormed the cockpit. They removed the co-pilot, cuffed him, presumably arrested him, and brought him back down the aisle to deplane.”
What Happens Next
Newsweek has contacted the DHS for more information.