Man Seized On Flight To Dulles

Passenger Attempts To Open Cabin Door

An unruly passenger who reportedly tried to yank open a cabin door in an airliner en route to Washington was jumped last night by fellow passengers who helped federal air marshals subdue him.

United Flight 890, from Los Angeles, was about two hours from Dulles International Airport when the incident occurred about 6:30 p.m. EDT. The full Airbus 320 arrived a few minutes early, officials said.

The man, who reportedly wore a camouflage jacket and spoke Portuguese, was questioned at Dulles last night by airport police, according to an airport spokeswoman.

No motive was readily apparent, but a spokeswoman for the FBI emphasized that the incident was not terrorism-related.

"There is no terrorism nexus," she said.

The plane, which according to a Web site can carry 180 passengers, left Los Angeles at 12:50 p.m. PDT. About halfway into the flight, shouting broke out in the rear of the cabin, a passenger said after arriving at Dulles.

The man "was pulling on the rear-door release handle," said the passenger, Stephen Lockwood of Northern Virginia.

A flight attendant ordered the man to stop, but he continued to pull on the handle.

Two or three passengers standing nearby intervened, Lockwood said he was told by others onboard.

"They jumped him," Lockwood said. "He resisted," and a vigorous scuffle ensued.

"The guy took quite a beating," Lockwood said. No one else was reported injured.

Out of the tumult, the passenger said, a federal air marshal appeared. He showed his shield and placed plastic handcuffs on the man.