Overview
- Pilots declared an emergency minutes after departure and landed back at Eppley Airfield, where police and fire crews met the aircraft.
- The FAA said an interphone malfunction prevented cockpit‑to‑cabin communication and led to confusion about the source of the knocking.
- Authorities reported no security incident, countering social media claims that passengers tried to breach the cockpit.
- The SkyWest-operated American Eagle flight later continued to Los Angeles on the same aircraft, arriving several hours late.
- Some outlets noted the FAA’s media response was briefly delayed due to a federal funding shortfall affecting routine inquiries.