Overview
- Flight 3345 was diverted to Miami after a disruptive passenger attempted to open an emergency exit and shoved at the cockpit door, an episode that occurred Sunday, May 31.
- Flight attendants and several passengers, including a traveling Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, restrained the man with flex cuffs and seatbelt extenders after he allegedly choked an off-duty flight attendant and repeatedly broke free of restraints.
- Miami law enforcement arrested 51-year-old Juan Gabriel Reyes at Miami International Airport and charged him with misdemeanor battery locally and federal counts for interfering with flight crew members, with the FBI assisting the investigation.
- No injuries were reported and the aircraft continued on to Chicago a few hours after officers removed the passenger and cleared the plane.
- The FAA has logged hundreds of unruly-passenger reports this year, can seek civil penalties for crew interference, and investigators say attempts to open doors are treated as severe threats even though plug-type doors cannot be opened at cruise altitude.