Newark passenger detained after incident aboard United flight

A United Airlines passenger was taken into custody at Newark Liberty International Airport on Saturday evening, May 2, after an altercation on board a flight from the Dominican Republic. 

Neither the airline nor Port Authority shared the nature of the incident, but ABC News shared the following air traffic control exchange, captured by LiveATC.net. CNN did as well, citing ATC.com. 

Crew member: “A gentleman just attacked one of the flight attendants and tried to open the forward main cabin door.” 

Air traffic control: “Oh my God.” 

Crew member: “Trying to get access to the flight deck.” 

In a statement, United told USA TODAY, "Local law enforcement met United flight 1837 upon its scheduled arrival at Newark International Airport to address an unruly passenger.” 

Port Authority told USA TODAY police detained a 48-year-old male without incident and took him to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.  

Port Authority added one person on board declined medical attention, and no other injuries were reported. 

There were 170 customers and six crew members on board the flight from Gregorio Luperón International Airport, which is also known as Puerto Plata Airport. 

“We’re grateful to our crew for their efforts to ensure the safety of fellow crew members and our customers,” United said.  

The FAA said it’s investigating the incident, which it described as a passenger disturbance. The FAA has a zero-tolerance policy toward unruly passenger behavior, which it notes can lead to jail time, penalties topping $43,000 per violation, revocation of TSA Pre-Check privileges and being put on an airline’s no-fly list.