Flight Diverted To New Mexico After Man Threatens Flight Attendant

A flight from North Carolina to Los Angeles made an emergency landing Monday in New Mexico after a passenger reportedly threatened a flight attendant.

According to KRQE, witnesses' social media posts that explained the situation said what led to the emergency landing at Albuquerque International Sunport started when the plane was boarding in Charlotte. A man and woman boarded the plane with four children ages 4-8 and "made a stink" to try and get other passengers to switch seats with them because they didn't book seats together.

During the flight, the children were left unattended and started "sprinting from one end of the plane to the other incessantly. Many passengers complained. A flight attendant got them to stop," according to the social media post obtained by KRQE. The flight attendant then spoke to the man, who allegedly replied "I have your information. I will find you and I will shoot you."

The plane made an emergency landing in Albuquerque around 10:30 p.m. after one of the pilots told Albuquerque Air Traffic Control that the verbal threat was a Level 3 threat. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a Level 3 threat is "life-threatening behavior." For reference, Level 1 is disruptive, suspicious or threatening behavior, Level 2 is physically abusive behavior and Level 4 is an attempted or actual breach of the flight deck.

KRQE reported Albuquerque Police said any charges and the rest of the case will be handled by the FBI.

In a statement, American Airlines said, "We thank our crew for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for any inconvenience."