Man Seized On Flight To Dulles

"The passengers clapped when they took him forward," Lockwood said.

Amy Kudwa, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, said that she lacked details of the incident but that she understood two air marshals had subdued the man.

It was not clear how often air marshals have been called on to subdue passengers on flights into or out of Washington. The number of flights that carry marshals is not disclosed.

Intervening in such situations is "part of [the air marshals'] mission, Kudwa said.

It also was not clear whether the door could have been opened in flight. Lockwood said he was told later by airline personnel that the doors cannot be opened while the cabin is pressurized.

According to Lockwood, the man was taken to the first-class section of the airplane, where at least one passenger talked with him in Portuguese.

Courtney Prebich, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates both Dulles and Reagan National Airport, said airport police were called to meet the plane upon its arrival.

An FBI spokeswoman said the bureau was interviewing the unruly passenger last night. She said few details were immediately available.