DRAMATIC

U.S. Military Jets Escort Hawaii-Bound Flight After Passenger Incident

Turkish citizen reportedly tried to break into cockpit.

Two Air Force fighter jets escorted an American Airlines flight to Honolulu on Friday after a mid-air incident with a Turkish national. Authorities have yet to provide full details on the circumstances of the incident, but local media reports said the man tried to force his way into the cockpit on a flight from Los Angeles. A spokesman for the Pacific Command confirmed that two F-22s had been scrambled to escort the plane, and authorities met the man upon arrival in Honolulu. The man was identified as Turkish citizen Anil Uskanil at an FBI news conference in Honolulu after the incident, Reuters reported. FBI special-agent-in-charge Paul Delacourt told reporters it was “unclear what his motivation was.” He was restrained by an off-duty law enforcement officer and other passengers on the plane, and the flight landed safely with no reported injuries. Separately, police at Los Angeles International Airport said Uskanil had caught the attention of security hours before his flight, when he tried to use an unauthorized exit to get onto the airfield. He was detained and questioned over the incident, but later released with a citation for misdemeanor trespassing. A police spokesman said he claimed to have lost his way due to intoxication.