Flight makes emergency landing after passenger tries to enter cockpit

An American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Washington, DC, made a rapid emergency landing in Kansas City Sunday after an unruly passenger tried to break into the cockpit and then attempted to open an exit door, witnesses said. The passenger was subdued by crew members and other passengers. He was taken into custody after the flight landed. American Airlines said the flight, American Airlines Flight 1775, landed safely in Kansas City, where law enforcement officials met the plane. The crew members “handled the circumstances with the utmost skill and professionalism,” the carrier said. The airline did not respond to questions about the passenger’s actions. Stacy Day, a spokeswoman for the airline, said that the passenger was “ultimately subdued by our crew and with the help of other passengers.” Mouaz Moustafa, a passenger from Washington, described a chaotic scene as the plane started descending into Kansas City without warning after the struggle with the passenger. He said the man tried to get into the cockpit and then tried to exit via the main door before he was held down by several passengers. “A flight attendant ran to the back of the plane and got the coffee pot and continues to bash the guy on the head,” Mr. Moustafa said in an interview as the plane was being held on the tarmac. The man was “bleeding profusely,” he added. Story has more.<br/>