ATLANTA – Delta Air Lines says a passenger did not try to breach the cockpit of a Houston-to-Atlanta flight that returned to William P. Hobby Airport shortly after takeoff Wednesday, walking back earlier reports from Houston police that suggested an attempted flight deck breach.
Incident on Delta Flight 2557
What we know:
Delta said Flight 2557, a Boeing 717 with 85 customers and five crew members, turned back to Hobby shortly after takeoff around 5:25 a.m. local time because a customer was exhibiting “unruly and unlawful behavior” toward other passengers. The airline said the customer “approached crew and customers but did not make contact with or attempt to access the flight deck.”
Houston police said officers were called at 5:38 a.m. after a report involving the flight and responded after the aircraft returned to the airport. Authorities said a suspect was taken into custody, and the incident remains under investigation.
The Atlanta-based airline said the flight declared an emergency for arrival, landed safely and was met by law enforcement. Delta said the flight later re-departed and was expected to arrive in Atlanta about 90 minutes behind schedule, deferring further details to police.
Delta issued the following apology to its passengers:
“The safety of our customers and crew is paramount, and Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior. We apologize to our customers for this experience and delay in their travels.”
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed they were notified of the incident and told FOX 5 Atlanta that they will be investigating.Â
Delta denies cockpit breach attempt on Houston-to-Atlanta flight
An Atlanta-bound Delta flight was forced to return to Houston’s Hobby Airport Wednesday morning due to an unruly passenger. While initial police reports suggested an attempted cockpit breach, Delta Air Lines has clarified that the passenger never made contact with the flight deck. Flight 2557 landed safely, a suspect was taken into custody, and the aircraft has since re-departed for Hartsfield-Jackson.
‘He punched me three times’
What they’re saying:
Passengers described a scene of confusion and sudden violence approximately 30 minutes into the 5 a.m. flight. Josh Lemastus, who was hoping to sleep during the trip, said he was blindsided by the attack.
“He punched me three times and then walked back and started attacking another gentleman behind me,” Lemastus said. “Thirty minutes into it I’m just sitting there, and a guy walks aggressively by me and aggressively back, and he bumps into my shoulder and starts completely wailing on my head.”
Lemastus noted there was no provocation before the assault. “No words. No nothing. Never seen the gentleman in my life,” he said. “He started screaming at the guy behind me and in like tongues and everyone assumed he was not mentally there.”
Another passenger, Amber Ward, captured the chaotic moments on her phone. Her footage shows the man walking the aisle and striking multiple people.
“He hit a lot of people on the plane. He hit a lot of people,” Ward said. “He started punching everyone. Before that, he tried to go to the cockpit and said he wanted to speak to the pilot.”
While passengers reported the man tried to reach the flight deck, Delta Air Lines issued a statement clarifying that the man “did not make contact with or attempt to access the flight deck.”
Several men on the plane eventually intervened to subdue the passenger. “They put some large zip ties, and they restrained him by doing that,” Lemastus said.
Despite the midair scare, the flight eventually reached its destination in Atlanta. Ward expressed relief after the ordeal. “I never thought this would happen to me,” she said. “You see videos like this all the time people going crazy on a plane but never thought it would happen to me.”
Airplane cockpit doors explained
Dig deeper:
Airplane cockpits are now among the most secure spaces in the sky — a reality shaped by major safety overhauls in the years since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. During those attacks, hijackers forced their way into the cockpits of four planes and crashed them into prominent U.S. landmarks, destroying the Twin Towers in New York and damaging the Pentagon.
In the aftermath, the aviation industry dramatically tightened security. The Transportation Security Administration was created to screen passengers, cockpit doors were reinforced, and strict locking procedures were put in place — all designed to prevent anyone from gaining unauthorized access to the flight deck.
According to the FAA, airlines reported more than 1,600 unruly passenger incidents in 2025. The FAA is responsible for pursuing legal enforcement action against any passengers who assault, threaten, intimidate or interfere with airline crew members. They can propose civil penalties up to $37,000 per violation.Â
FAA to investigate
What’s next:
The FAA is expected to investigate the incident. Houston police reported that the man was taken for a mental evaluation, and no charges have been filed at this time.