An American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago was forced to divert to Detroit on Sunday due to a “reported disturbance aboard,” according to officials
15:22 ET, 29 Mar 2026Updated 16:21 ET, 29 Mar 2026
FBI is on the scene at Detroit Metro Airport after an American Airlines flight was diverted (Image: FOX 2 Detroit)
An American Airlines flight leaving from New York and heading toward Chicago was diverted to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) on Sunday.
The plane landed and was moved to remote area at the airport to be isolated, and FBI agents, Homeland Security, as well as local police and fire crews appear to surround the aircraft at the scene.
In a statement to the Mirror US, the FBI Detroit spokesperson said, “I can confirm that personnel from the FBI in Michigan are present (March 29, 2026) at DTW Airport, located in Romulus, Michigan, conducting law enforcement activities. There is no current threat to the public at this time.”
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The investigation is taking place near Middlebelt Road, after the American Airlines plane was removed from the runway. The Mirror US has reached out to the FBI and American Airlines for more information.
A spokesperson for Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) confirmed the incident in a statement to FOX 2: “Wayne County Airport Authority Police responded to a reported disturbance aboard a diverted American Airlines flight. The FBI is present on the scene.”
In a video shared by Metro Detroit News on X, the American Airlines plane appears to sit in a remote part of the airport. Emergency vehicles are surrounding the aircraft in the video.
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According to FlightAware, a plane left John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City at 8:59 a.m. on Sunday en route to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The flight tracker website noted that the plane diverted and landed at DTW at 11:08 a.m.
An American Airlines spokesperson confirmed with CBS News that Flight 2819 was diverted due to a “disruptive customer.”
“The aircraft landed safely at DTW where law enforcement and medical personnel met the flight and the customer deplaned,” the carrier told the outlet in a statement.
American Airlines said passengers were removed from the plane while law enforcement searched and cleared the aircraft.
According to FlightAware, the plane is expected to depart DTW on Sunday at 5:29 p.m. ET and land at Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 6:06 p.m. CT.
It remains unclear what occurred onboard regarding the “disruptive customer” that led to the diversion to Detroit.