Flight Carrying Four Arizona Congressmen Diverted to Kansas City Due to Disruptive Passenger
KANSAS CITY, MO – American Airlines Flight 1218 from Phoenix to Washington, D.C., was diverted to Kansas City International Airport (KCI) Tuesday evening after a passenger became disruptive, prompting law enforcement intervention. The flight, carrying four members of Congress – Reps. greg Stanton, Eli Crane, Andy Biggs, and Paul Gosar, all of Arizona – landed safely at KCI around 6:15 p.m. Central Time.
The diversion caused a roughly three-hour delay for the lawmakers and other passengers. While the incident is resolved, it highlights the increasing challenges airlines face with passenger conduct and the protocols in place to address such situations. The flight resumed its journey, arriving at Reagan National Airport at 9:01 p.m. CT.
According to flight records, the flight departed Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at 3:34 p.m. CT. Approximately two hours and 41 minutes into the flight, pilots made the decision to land at KCI.
A statement from American Airlines confirmed the diversion, stating, “On Nov. 11, American Airlines flight 1218, with service from Phoenix (PHX) to Washington, D.C. (DCA) diverted to Kansas City (MCI) due to a disruptive customer. Law enforcement met the flight and removed the customer, and the flight later re-departed for DCA, where it landed normally. We thank our customers for their patience and our crew members for their professionalism.”
Kansas City police responded to the scene and removed the disruptive passenger from the Airbus A320 aircraft.
Anyone with details related to the incident is encouraged to contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at p3tips.com.
