NJ Man Tried To Open Airplane Doors, Forcing Emergency Landing: Feds

NEW JERSEY — A New Jersey man faces multiple federal charges after he tried to open the exterior doors of an American Airlines flight in mid-July, federal officials said. The man, 26-year-old Eric Nicholas Gapco of Delanco, also propositioned one of the flight attendants for sex, officials with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah said.

The flight, American Airlines #2101, had taken off from Seattle and was en route to Dallas on July 18. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah, due to Gapco's "unruly" behavior, the flight was diverted to Salt Lake City International Airport.

Flight attendants and other passengers used "flexible restraints" to confine Gapco while the plane made the emergency landing, officials said.

Police arrested the Delanco resident at the Salt Lake City International Airport at around 11 a.m. local time.

According to a criminal complaint, the passengers and crew restrained Gapco's hands and feet after he "failed to follow instructions from flight crew to remain in his seat, used a vape pen on board in contradiction of crew instructions, locked himself in a lavatory for a time, screamed, and attempted to open the aircraft exterior doors (forward and aft)" while the plane was in the air.

A federal grand jury indicted Gapco on charges of interfering with a flight crew, and attempted damage to an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. His initial court appearance is set for Thursday afternoon.

Several videos shared on the social media platform X appear to show the incident.