'Knocking on cockpit door': American Airlines flight makes emergency landing after pilots mistake crew for hijackers

An American Airlines flight was forced to return to Omaha Airport on Monday after the pilots mistakenly believed passengers were trying to break into the cockpit, reports New York Post.

The flight had departed for Los Angeles but made an emergency landing less than 40 minutes into the journey. The plane was only about 40 miles into its 1,300-mile trip when the incident occurred.

The misunderstanding began when the pilots lost contact with the cabin crew due to a glitch with the intercom system. “After landing, it was determined there was a problem with the inter-phone system and the flight crew was knocking on the cockpit door,” the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Hearing banging on the cockpit door and static over the intercom, the pilots feared a hijacking attempt. They swiftly turned the plane around and landed safely at Eppley Airfield in Omaha around 7:45 pm local time. Law enforcement was seen boarding the aircraft shortly after landing.

The captain later apologised to passengers over the intercom. “We weren’t sure if something was going on with the airplane, so that’s why we’re coming back here,” he said. “It’s gonna be a little bit. We have to figure out what’s going on,” according to passengers.

Omaha Airport confirmed there was no security-related incident. “There was no security-related incident at Eppley Airfield this evening,” the airport said in a statement.

The airline incident is not the only one in recent times . On Sunday, Delta Flight 898 was diverted to Atlanta after passengers reported a smoky smell in the cabin, reports the Mirror.

Earlier, a United Airlines pilot had to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City after a 'mystery object' struck the aircraft’s windshield during a flight from Denver to Los Angeles. The pilot suffered injuries to his arm, and shards of glass littered the cockpit.