Alaska Airlines Flight Grounded After Passengers “Threatened To Take The Aircraft Over”
An Alaska Airlines flight heading to Seattle was forced to stop on the runway at Miami International Airport Sunday night after passengers allegedly threatened to take control of the plane.
Flight 305 had just pushed back from the gate and was taxiing for takeoff around 6:40 p.m. when the crew reported a real disturbance on board. Air traffic control audio captured the pilot warning controllers that passengers were making active threats to take over the aircraft.
“Ramp, Alaska 305, we have set the parking brake and we have a customer disturbance onboard right now, with threats coming from customers,” the pilot said. He added that the crew wanted to enter a lockdown protocol and planned to shut down the engine.
The pilot later provided another update. “The flight attendants have received threats from customers onboard the aircraft,” he said. “The last thing we heard from the flight attendant is that we had a customer threaten to take the aircraft over.”
When air traffic control asked whether the crew needed law enforcement, the pilot gave a direct answer, “Absolutely.”
Law Enforcement Responds As Crew Takes Precautions
Pilots trigger lockdown procedures and keep the cockpit doors locked whenever they suspect a security threat, only opening them after the crew resolves the situation.
When the plane taxied back from the runway, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputies were already waiting at the gate. Authorities removed everyone from the aircraft while officers looked into the incident.
Multiple passengers are threatening the flight attendants aboard Alaska Airlines flight 305 in Miami this evening and they’re going back to the gate to meet law-enforcement.
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) August 9, 2026
Via @theATCapp pic.twitter.com/wlc8iovCZo
The sheriff’s office told travel news site Paddle Your Own Kanoo that a flight attendant raised the alarm over suspicious behavior, prompting deputies to step in out of an abundance of caution before clearing the plane to fly.
After a thorough check, law enforcement confirmed there was no real danger. The airline removed the two passengers who caused the problem and booked them on a different flight.
Alaska Airlines confirmed the issue, with a spokesperson explaining that two travelers started causing a scene while taxiing, forcing the plane to turn back so police could escort them off.
The airline temporarily banned both travelers from flying with Alaska Airlines.
“The safety of our guests and crew is always our highest priority,” the spokesperson said. “We appreciate our employees’ professionalism and apologize to our guests for the delay and inconvenience.”
According to FlightRadar24 data, the Boeing 737 later resumed its trip and landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport around 10 p.m.
The incident comes as reports of unruly airline passengers continue to decline. Federal Aviation Administration data shows 1,014 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026. The agency recorded 1,621 cases in 2025 and a record 5,973 incidents in 2021 during the height of pandemic-related travel disruptions.
Alaska Airlines Flight Grounded After Passengers “Threatened To Take The Aircraft Over”
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