An Alaska Airlines flight bound for Seattle was forced back to the gate Sunday evening after two unruly passengers allegedly threatened to seize control of the aircraft, prompting the crew to trigger a cockpit lockdown and call for law enforcement.
The Boeing 737 had pushed back from the gate at Miami International Airport and was taxiing for departure around 6:40 p.m. when the situation escalated.
According to air traffic control audio obtained by ATCapp, the pilot alerted controllers that the crew was responding to a serious onboard disturbance.
“Ramp, Alaska 305, we have set the parking brake and we have a customer disturbance onboard right now, with threats coming from customers,” the pilot said.
“We want to go into a lockdown protocol. We are shutting down the engine and parking brake set.”
Cockpit lockdown procedures are designed to protect the flight deck whenever its security may be at risk, with pilots keeping the cockpit door sealed until the threat has been resolved.
Moments later, the pilot provided a more alarming update.
“The flight attendants have received threats from customers onboard the aircraft. The last thing we heard from the flight attendant is that we had a customer threaten to take the aircraft over.”
When air traffic control asked whether police were needed, the pilot replied: “Absolutely.”
An Alaska Airlines flight preparing to depart Miami for Seattle reported threats from passengers, including one who threatened to take over the jet on Sunday evening, according to air traffic control audio. The plane was forced to go into a lockdown protocol and passengers were… pic.twitter.com/KYROsVamcR
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Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Airport District deputies responded after the aircraft returned to the gate. Passengers were temporarily taken off the plane while authorities investigated the reported threats.
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“This evening at approximately 6.40pm, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Airport District deputies responded to one of the gates at Miami International Airport after a flight attendant reported possible suspicious activity,” the sheriff’s office told travel outlet Paddle Your Own Kanoo.
“Out of an abundance of caution, passengers were temporarily deplaned while deputies investigated the incident.”
Investigators ultimately determined there was “no credible threat,” according to the sheriff’s office. The two passengers involved were rebooked onto another flight, while Alaska Airlines worked to reaccommodate the remaining passengers after Flight 305 was canceled.
Alaska Airlines confirmed the disturbance stemmed from two disruptive passengers during the taxi phase of Flight 305.
“Two guests onboard Alaska Airlines flight 305 from Miami (MIA) to Seattle (SEA) were disruptive during the aircraft’s taxi.
“The aircraft returned to the gate, where it was met by law enforcement, and the passengers were removed and temporarily banned from flying with us.”
The airline added: “The safety of our guests and crew is always our highest priority.
“We appreciate our employees’ professionalism and apologize to our guests for the delay and inconvenience.”
Flight tracking data shows Alaska later scheduled Flight 305 to depart Monday evening after Sunday’s flight was canceled.
The incident comes as reports of disruptive airline passengers remain well below the record levels seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Aviation Administration has logged more than 1,000 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026, far below the record 5,973 cases reported in 2021, when many confrontations were tied to federal face mask requirements.
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