American Airlines' Connecticut-Chicago flight declares emergency, turns back. Here's why

A flight from Connecticut to Chicago was forced to turn back on Tuesday night after American Airlines declared a mid-air emergency following a violent outburst by a passenger.

According to federal authorities, 24-year-old Julius Jordan Priester, a Kansas man with a criminal history, is now facing federal charges for interfering with flight crew members and attendants—a serious offense that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The incident occurred around 10 p.m., approximately 30 minutes into the one-hour flight. A news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut stated that Priester began behaving erratically. He reportedly removed his shirt and ran to the back of the plane, shouting, “Help me!”


He then grabbed a flight attendant by the shirt collar, forced the crew member to the ground, and shouted, “You are coming with me.” Despite efforts to restrain him, Priester continued dragging the attendant up the aisle.

Passengers eventually managed to push him back into his seat, where he became increasingly agitated and began speaking incoherently.

The flight’s captain declared an emergency and diverted the plane back to Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. Upon landing, Connecticut State Police boarded the aircraft and removed Priester, who was then taken to a hospital for evaluation. He was arrested there shortly after, according to the affidavit.

American Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement:

“On May 27, American Eagle flight 3359, operated by Envoy, with service from Hartford (BDL) to Chicago (ORD), returned to BDL due to a disruptive customer. We do not tolerate violence, and we thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their assistance.”