MADISON, Wis. — The Dane County Sheriff’s Office responded Friday night after a flight was diverted to Dane County Regional Airport because of an apparent mental health crisis involving a passenger. No charges are expected, officials said.

Online flight logs show a United Airlines Boeing 737-900, configured to carry 179 passengers, took off from Chicago O’Hare International Airport bound for Minneapolis but diverted to Madison.

The FBI was notified around 9 p.m. that a commercial flight was being diverted to Madison.

In an update, a Dane County Regional Airport spokesperson and the sheriff’s office said a 75-year-old unruly passenger was detained and handcuffed on the flight  by sheriff’s office deputies. Officials said initial investigation suggested the passenger appeared confused and was experiencing an apparent mental health crisis.

The man’s family in Minnesota was contacted and was traveling to Madison to be reunited with him, according to a Saturday morning update.

The remaining passengers resumed their flight, and no injuries were reported.

News 3 Now spoke to Mike Rundle, of East Peoria, Ill., who was on that flight.

Rundle and the other passengers later learned that the 75-year-old man may have allegedly approached the cockpit after he reached for a flight attendant.

As Rundle learned about the flight diverting to Wisconsin’s capital city, he recalled being confused.

“It was a little bit scary because we didn’t really know what was going on exactly. We kind of started to learn a little bit more about was going on,” Rundle said.

He arrived to his hotel in Minneapolis at around 3 a.m. Saturday.

Rundle has been on many flights over the years, but an instance like this never occurred.

“It’s one of those situations where you never really expect it to be you in a situation like that. There’s so many unknowns. It was a little bit scary…” Rundle said.

The FBI Milwaukee Division’s Madison Resident Agency took over the investigation and advised that no criminal charges be pursued at this time.

In a statement to Channel3000.com, the Federal Aviation Administration said:

“United Airlines Flight 2005 landed safely at Dane County Regional Airport in Wisconsin, around 9:10 p.m. local time on Friday, May 29, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. The flight departed from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and was headed to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. Contact the airline and local authorities for additional information.”

The sheriff’s office said it was not aware of any injuries or threats to the general public stemming from the incident.

This is a breaking news story. Follow News 3 Now and Channel3000.com for further updates.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues or considering suicide, there are resources available to help. Calling 988 nationwide will connect you to the  Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In Dane County, Journey Mental Health Center has a 24/7 suicide prevention hotline at 608-280-2600. 

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