24 February 2023 , 07:47
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A woman in the US was arrested after allegedly trying to breach the cockpit of plane when she became irritated her first-class booze wasn't being served quickly.
Tiffany Michelle Miles, 36, of Washington DC, was one of around 50 people aboard an American Airlines flight from Jacksonville, Florida, to the American capital.
American Airlines Flight 3444 was forced to divert to Raleigh-Durham International Airport at around 3.30pm on Wednseday after MIles became upset her first class drinks weren't being served as quickly as she would have liked.
Miles "was upset because they weren't serving her beverage", according to Kara Rosario, who was on board the flight at the time.
Kara told ABC 11: "She was yelling that she paid for First Class and that she's not getting her drink that she's ordered.
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Another passenger onboard then attempted to get up and calm the situation down.
Miles was escorted off the aircraft (ABC11)Kara explained: "You could feel that we were in it together and were willing to do what was needed but the gentleman behind me was the first to get up and take matters into his own hands."
Miles' alleged attempt to get into the cockpit was revealed on audio from Air Traffic Control.
The audio said: "Subject is currently on the loose in the cabin.
"[She] is trying to breach the cabin. [Miles] is being somewhat restrained by the flight crew and other passengers."
Another passenger attempted to calm the situation down (ABC11)The plane's pilot asked for Milse to be restrained as the aircraft landed and the aircrew were told that a "long gun crew is going to be on the outside, end of the aircraft."
Miles was then escorted off by four police officers and arrested.
The incident even led to a ground stop at the airport to halt arriving flights from landing, but this was lifted shortly after.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and FBI are investigating and will determine if additional charges are required.
FBI spokesman Shelley Lynch said: "The FBI is currently conducting interviews to gather the facts and will consult with the US Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina to determine if federal charges will be filed."
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The FBI is investigating (Bloomberg via Getty Images)Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted: "FAA leadership has briefed me on today’s flight diversion due to a Level 4 disruption on board. Thankful to all who helped ensure its safe arrival. As always, safety is our main concern and our top priority."
Fellow passengers were not injured onboard and were rebooked onto other flights to Washington DC.
Derek Walls, a spokesperson for American Airlines, told WTVD-TV: "Safety and security are our top priorities, and we thank our customers for their cooperation and our team members for their professionalism in managing a difficult situation."