MIAMI – A man had an apparent meltdown on a flight that was heading to Miami Saturday morning and it was all caught on camera.
According to a source, the passenger was set to board American Airlines Flight 9948 at 10 p.m. Friday from Rio de Janeiro to arrive at Miami International Airport early Saturday morning when he was heard screaming for “help” and saying “they’re killing me” in Spanish.
Exclusive video obtained by Local 10 News shows that the man was held down by an American Airlines crew member and four passengers to secure him before security arrived at the scene as he continued to scream for help.
Additional cellphone video showed passengers attempting to restrain the man with duct tape and put it over his mouth before security arrived.
The video shows the man being held down as he thrashes in what appeared to be an airplane galley.
Local 10 News spoke with a passenger leaving from Miami to Rio who said she was shocked when she heard about the incident.
“That is very nerve-racking. That’s crazy that happens, you know?” she said.
No arrests have been reported, as of Saturday afternoon.
According to flightaware.com, the flight did not experience any delays as a result of the incident.
Local 10 News has reached out to American Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration for comment.
In a breakdown of unruly passengers from the FAA, in 2022 there was a 59% decrease in incidents from the year before, and in 2023 there were 1,987 reports, an 80% decrease compared to 2021.