Guests and staff on board a Malaysia Airlines aircraft flying from Melbourne to Sydney last night, are being described as heroic after overpowering and restraining a threatening passenger.
MH128 was less than an hour into the evening service to Kuala Lumpur, when guests and cabin crew noticed a man walking towards the cockpit with a “strange-looking object” in his hand, ABC News reported.
Although police later clarified that the object not an explosive, former AFL player Andrew Leoncelli, who was travelling on the aircraft, said it was “huge” and “black” and unlike anything he’d ever seen.
#MH128 guy drunk. In plastic cuffs. Looks like the SWAT team was despatched to the flight @MAS pic.twitter.com/FL5TqTEGR3
— saroki (@saroki19) May 31, 2017
Leoncelli continued to tell radio station 3AW that the man began making threatening comments, which prompted the former footy player to approach him. This sent the passenger running towards the rear of the aircraft where other male guests tackled and detained him.
According to the former footy player, there were at least “eight feet” on the back of the man’s head to keep him down, while others hog-tied him.
“Basically [they] sat on him with their feet on his back with his face into the carpet for the next 20 minutes while we turned the plane around and landed again.”
Andrew Leoncelli
Victorian Police were called to remove the man, who is now in custody and being interviewed by police.
Superintendent Tony Langdon told media that they are not treating this as an act of terror and believe the man may have a history of mental illness.
In an official statement, Malaysia Airlines reiterated the police officer’s words, stressing that “at no point was the aircraft ‘hijacked'”.
“Safety and security are of utmost priority to Malaysia Airlines. The airline wishes to apologise for the inconvenience caused.”
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines accommodated guests with hotel rooms last night and have been offered travel on the next available flight or on other carriers.
Melbourne Airport has also confirmed that operations are running as per usual this morning.
