Fighter jets escort flight after passenger fight

Jun 01, 2011 |

Reuters

Washington

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Fighter jets escorted a United Airlines plane back to Dulles International Airport outside Washington after
a fight broke out between two passengers on the Ghana-bound flight, officials said on Tuesday.

Police met the two passengers at the gate when Flight 990 landed back at Dulles early on Monday but neither passenger was injured and they were not arrested, said airport spokesman Rob Yingling. The flight had taken off from Dulles late on Sunday.

The fight began when one of the passengers lowered his seat and the passenger behind him objected, reported Washington Post.

The two F-16 fighter jets were dispatched from Andrews Air Force Base after the pilot reported the disturbance, said U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander William Lewis, spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

They shadowed the airline flight back to Dulles, where it landed safely, Lewis said.

"They were just following typical procedures when you have disturbances," Lewis said. "It's pretty commonplace whenever there's an airspace violation."

United Airlines did not return calls for comment.

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