Flight diverted to Colorado airport after unruly passenger gets into altercation with staff

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KRDO) – A Breeze Airways flight en route to Los Angeles had to be diverted to a Colorado airport on Wednesday after an unruly passenger got into an altercation with airline staff and broke free of his restraints twice, local police say.

The flight, which took off from Norfolk, Virginia, at 9:17 a.m. on Aug. 13, was headed for LAX but diverted to Grand Junction Airport.

The Grand Junction Police Department (GJPD) said they were called to the airport at around 11:15 a.m. to assist with an unruly passenger.

According to GJPD, officers on scene learned that an intoxicated male passenger had become agitated onboard the flight, yelling "racist slurs" at flight attendants while "waving a skateboard."

Airline staff members restrained the man twice, but he was able to break free both times, police say.

According to ABC News, the airline said there was also a physical altercation on the plane that resulted in minor injuries to a passenger and a flight attendant, citing reports from crewmembers on the flight.

However, police say no passengers or flight crew members reported any assault or injuries to law enforcement.

Upon landing in Colorado, Grand Junction police took the passenger into custody at the direction of the FBI, and he was transported to the Mesa County Detention Center.

The altercation remains under active investigation.

ABC News reports that in 2025 alone, airlines have reported over 1,000 incidents involving unruly passengers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

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