A United Airlines flight from Tokyo to Chicago took a troubling turn Wednesday when an unruly passenger was restrained with plastic cuffs, prompting the crew to declare a Level 3 emergency before arriving at O’Hare International Airport.
The man was removed from the plane after landing and taken to a hospital for evaluation, Chicago police told ABC7. What happened aboard the aircraft to trigger that response remains unclear, with authorities releasing few details about his behavior.
The November 11 incident involved United Flight 868, a roughly 12-hour journey from Tokyo’s Narita Airport to Chicago. In radio communications shared by aviation account Flight Follower, the crew told air traffic controllers that the passenger was “restrained with flex cuffs” and that no law enforcement officers were aboard.
Asked to confirm the severity of the situation, a crew member replied, “We are level three.” A controller later said authorities had been contacted but indicated they were still on their way.
ABC7 described Level 3 as the second-highest emergency classification, underscoring how seriously the crew treated the disturbance. Still, the brief radio exchange does not explain what led to the restraint, and officials have not publicly said whether the man threatened or injured anyone.
Flight-tracking records show the aircraft reached Chicago that afternoon. The passenger’s name and condition were not disclosed in the initial reports, which also did not announce any criminal charges.
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