Russian police detained a drunken man who threatened the crew of an passenger plane flying Tuesday from a Siberian city to Moscow, forcing it to land shortly after take-off.
The plane stood on the runway in Khanty-Mansiysk for more than an hour before law enforcement officials went onboard. The airport was evacuated and the area cordoned off. Aeroflot said no one was hurt.
The investigators said the man has been identified as a Surgut resident who has a past conviction for property damage. He will now face charges of hijacking.“The passengers and crew members on board the aircraft disembarked safely and without injury,” Aeroflot said in a statement.
Drunken incidents involving passengers on commercial flights in Russia are fairly common, though it is unusual for them to result in flights being diverted.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal investigation into the man who faces potential charges of hijacking a plane while threatening to use violence.
The crime carries a jail sentence of between seven and 12 years.
