‘Unruly behavior’ results in flight being forced to land at Little Rock airport

FBI probes report of assault onboard

LITTLE ROCK -- FBI investigators were looking into a report of an assault on an airplane that made an emergency landing Saturday afternoon at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field, an agency spokesman said.

One passenger was in FBI custody after the alleged assault aboard the plane forced it to make an emergency landing in Little Rock, agency spokesman Connor Hagan said.

A second passenger was taken to an area hospital for treatment, he said, although it was not clear what injuries the passenger had.

The plane landed in Little Rock at 3:35 p.m., airport spokesman Shane Carter wrote in an email to an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter.

Crew members on Southwest Airlines Flight 192 from Houston to Columbus, Ohio, noticed "unruly behavior" from a passenger and followed company policy by diverting the airplane to Little Rock, according to a statement from the airline. It went on to say that Little Rock authorities removed the passenger.

The flight continued to its original destination after the incident, Carter wrote.

Federal agents were working with Little Rock police, airport authorities and the airline to investigate the incident, according to a statement from the FBI that Hagan provided.

The FBI is the primary federal agency authorized to investigate potential assault aboard aircraft violations, according to the agency's statement.

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