{"id":367172,"date":"2026-08-10T02:14:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T02:14:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/367172\/"},"modified":"2026-08-10T02:14:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T02:14:13","slug":"pilots-put-cockpit-on-lockdown-as-unruly-passenger-threatens-to-take-over-alaska-airlines-plane-at-miami-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/367172\/","title":{"rendered":"Pilots Put Cockpit On Lockdown as Unruly Passenger Threatens to ‘Take Over’ Alaska Airlines Plane at Miami Airport"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Alaska Airlines flight was put into cockpit lockdown at Miami International Airport after pilots said a passenger threatened to \u201ctake over\u201d the aircraft just after pushback.<\/p>\n

In This Article<\/p>\n

The cockpit-to-tower audio in which pilots declare a \u201ccustomer disturbance\u201d and request lockdown protocol.
\nWhy the plane had to wait for a pushback tug to return it to the gate.
\nHow airlines classify unruly passenger threats, from disruptive behavior up to a full cockpit breach.
\nHow this incident compares to the FAA\u2019s yearly unruly passenger totals since the 2021 pandemic-era peak.<\/p>\n

Show 4 more points
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An Alaska Airlines flight was put into lockdown at Miami International Airport (MIA) on Sunday evening after an unruly passenger allegedly made a threat to \u2018takeover\u2019 the aircraft shortly after the Boeing 737 had pushed back from the gate.<\/p>\n

Alaska flight AS-305 was preparing for departure for a six hour transcontinental service to Seattle and had just been released from the pushback tug to start its taxi to the takeoff runway. Within moments, however, the pilots informed the airport tower that they had slammed on the brakes and initiated lockdown protocols.<\/p>\n

In a recording of communications between the cockpit and air traffic control obtained by Enhanced Radar, one of the pilots told the tower: \u201c\u201dRamp, Alaska 305, we have set the parking brake and we have a customer disturbance on board right now, with threats coming from customers. We want to go into a lockdown protocol. We are shutting down the engine, and parking brake set.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an update to the tower, the pilot added: \u201cThe flight attendants have received threats from customers on board the aircraft\u2026 the last thing we heard from the flight attendant is that we had a customer threat to take the aircraft over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although the aircraft still close to gate E6 where it had just pushed back from, the pushback tug had already been disconnected so there was a short delay as the pilots attempted to get back in touch with the ground workers to get the tug reattached so the plane could be towed to the gate.<\/p>\n

Alaska Airlines did not immediately respond to the request for comment. According to flight data supplied by Flight Radar 24, the service has been delayed until 8:48 pm at the earliest.<\/p>\n

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Miami Dade Sheriffs Office later old us: \u201cThis evening, at approximately\u00a06:40 p.m., Miami-Dade Sheriff\u2019s Office Airport District deputies responded to one of the gates at Miami International Airport after a flight attendant reported possible suspicious activity involving passengers. Out of an abundance of caution, passengers were temporarily deplaned while deputies investigated the incident.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe investigation determined there was no credible threat. The two individuals involved were rebooked on another flight. The aircraft was cleared, passengers were permitted to reboard, and the flight continued without further incident.\u201d<\/p>\n

When dealing with unruly passenger incidents, airlines use an internationally recognized matrix to report the level of threat posed to the flight:<\/p>\n

Level 1 \u2013 Disruptive Behavior:\u00a0Belligerent behavior, failing to follow lawful orders of the crew, swearing and cursing.<\/p>\n

Level 2 \u2013 Physically Abusive Behavior:\u00a0Physical contact between the unruly passenger and another passenger or crew member, punching,\u00a0shoving, or pushing.<\/p>\n

Level 3 \u2013 Life Threatening Behavior:\u00a0The use of or threat of a weapon, physical behavior that could threaten another person\u2019s life, such as strangling.<\/p>\n

Level 4 \u2013 Breach of the Cockpit:\u00a0Any attempt or actual breach of the cockpit is treated as a Level 4 threat. Hijack protocols are instigated.<\/p>\n

Whenever the integrity of the cockpit is being threatened, the pilots will initiate a lockdown protocol in which the cockpit door remains locked shut until the threat is removed. Any communication between the pilots and the flight attendants is conducted via the interphone system.<\/p>\n

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there have been 1,014 unruly passenger incidents in 2026 so far. While its still far too early to say whether the number of incidents recorded in 2026 will be down on the 1,621 incidents recorded throughout 2025, the trend is still down on pandemic highs.<\/p>\n

In 2021, a record breaking 5,973 unruly passenger incidents were reported to the FAA, although many of these were connected to face mask non-compliance issues. Despite the drop, unruly passenger incidents still remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n

In 2017, for example, only 544 incidents were reported, rising to 889 in 2018, 1,161 in 2019 and 1,009 in 2020, despite the dramatic drop off in the number of passengers being carried due to lockdowns and travel restrictions.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tMateusz Maszczynski<\/a>
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Mateusz Maszczynski honed his skills as an international flight attendant at the most prominent airline in the Middle East and has been flying ever since… most recently for a well known European airline. Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. Always keeping an ear close to the ground, Matt’s industry insights, analysis and news coverage is frequently relied upon by some of the biggest names in journalism.<\/p>\n