A federal air marshal was hauled off a plane in handcuffs after a flight attendant saw his gun and freaked out
- A federal air marshal was removed from a United Airlines subsidiary flight on Monday night after a flight attendant saw the gun he was carrying and issued an emergency alert.
- The air marshal and one other man were taken off the plane and handcuffed before they were questioned by the FBI at the Minneapolis St.Paul International Airport.
- While the Transportation Security Administration claims the flight attendant mistook the air marshal for a passenger, the Star-Tribune reports the air marshal actually showed the flight attendant his gun and that was why an emergency was declared.
A federal air marshal was hauled off a United Airlines regional partner plane in handcuffs after a flight attendant saw the gun he was carrying and issued an emergency alert in concert with the crew, according to a Star Tribune report.
The incident occurred on United Airlines Flight 3531 on late Monday night as the flight was traveling nonstop from Newark Liberty International Airport to Minneapolis St.Paul International Airport. The flight was operated by Republic Airline, an Indianapolis-based regional partner of United Airlines and other major carriers.
Republic Airlines spokesperson Jon Austin told Business Insider in a statement, "The safety and security of our customers and employees is our top priority. We are aware of this incident and are working with investigators."
Neither the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) nor United Airlines responded to Business Insider when asked to comment on the matter.
In a statement to the Star Tribune, the TSA said: "A Federal Air Marshal on official business onboard a flight was mistaken for a passenger by a flight attendant. Protocols for notification of law enforcement presence aboard an aircraft are in place to avoid incident like this. TSA is working with the airline to determine the specific circumstances in this case."
According to CBS4 Minnesota, the flight landed at MSP Airport at 11:30 p.m. Monday night, but did not make it to the gate. The New York Post reports passengers onboard Flight 3531 were told their landing was delayed because of an occupied gate. Chaos soon erupted, as several police cars surrounded the plane and two passengers dressed in slacks and button-down shirts were removed from the plane and handcuffed, according to the Star Tribune.
While the TSA has stated the flight attendant is to blame for the misidentification, it appears the air marshal himself may have violated protocol.
Earlier in the flight, the Star-Tribune reports that it was confirmed rather quickly that the two men were air marshals and that one of them actually showed the flight attendant his gun. From there she alerted the cockpit.
"That is completely against SOP [standard operating procedure] for them to show their firearm," said the pilot of flight 3531, whose recordings were captured by Liveatc.net and reported by the Star-Tribune. "So that's the reason we declared an emergency."
The TSA told the New York Post that the air marshal was traveling on "official business."
Following their removal from the plane, the Star-Tribune reports the two men were questioned by the FBI at the airport. And while the Star Tribune reports that the second detained passenger was also a federal air marshal, the TSA did not confirm that.
CBS4 Minnesota reports that the FBI is leading an investigation into the incident.