LOS ANGELES- United Airlines (UA) Flight 253 made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after a midair passenger disturbance prompted a threat-level declaration.
The Boeing 777 had originally departed from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston and was en route to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu.
United Flight Emergency Amid Unruly Pax
The incident occurred on May 14, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that it would investigate the diversion, which was initiated due to safety concerns reported by the crew involving a disruptive passenger.
Chicago-based carrier operated Flight UA253 was flying over the Pacific en route to Hawaii when the crew decided to divert to Los Angeles (LAX) following an escalation onboard.
According to internal reports from the airline, the disturbance was classified as a Level 2 threat, indicating physical violence onboard.
These events surpass routine insubordination, suggesting that either a crew member or fellow passenger may have been physically assaulted.
Upon landing safely at approximately 3:15 p.m. local time, local law enforcement authorities boarded the aircraft and escorted at least one individual off the plane.
Passenger accounts suggest that the primary disruptive individual was non-compliant with flight attendants’ instructions and may have acted violently. The specifics of the altercation remain under investigation by the FAA.
After the emergency landing in Los Angeles and subsequent re-departure, Flight UA253 completed its journey to Honolulu (HNL). However, on arrival, two more passengers were reportedly removed from the flight by authorities.
It is not yet confirmed if these removals were directly related to the initial incident or involved separate conduct issues.
More details are awaited regarding the incident. If anyone has info related to this incident, please reach out at [email protected].
Similar Incidents
United Airlines experienced a series of disruptive passenger incidents across its international routes.
Flight UA85 from Ben Gurion Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport encountered a mid-air disruption on Monday, April 14, 2025. The Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, registered as N17002, landed safely at Newark at approximately 3:30 p.m. local time despite the passenger disturbance.
Earlier in April 2025, authorities arrested a passenger after causing significant disruption on United Airlines flight UA3049 from Dubai to Newark.
The incident occurred approximately 10-11 hours into the 14-hour journey aboard a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Upon landing at Newark, approximately twenty law enforcement officers boarded the plane. The disruption resulted in temporary passenger movement restrictions and rear lavatory closures.
These incidents follow a similar situation in 2023 when United Airlines Flight UA20, traveling from Houston to Amsterdam, diverted to Chicago O’Hare International Airport after a business class passenger became disruptive. The passenger, seated in 11G, became unruly after not receiving their preferred meal option. The crew decided to dump fuel before making an unscheduled landing at O’Hare.
According to internal United communications shared by aviation watchdog JonNYC, the diversion reason was classified as “Disruptive pax on board, seat 11G, threat level 1.” While this represents the lowest threat level, the passenger’s extreme behavior necessitated the costly diversion.
A MileagePlus elite passenger reported that the disruptive individual appeared intoxicated, suggesting alcohol may have contributed to the incident.
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