United Airlines Flight From Newark to Costa Rica Diverted Over Disruptive

A Costa Rica-bound United flight out of Newark Liberty International Airport had to divert to Washington’s Dulles hub early Wednesday because of a “disruptive passenger,” the airline says.

United flight 1080 was over North Carolina when it turned back toward Dulles. Metropolitan police and fire officials met the plane on the runway and it taxied to the gate, where more Metropolitan police and the FBI were waiting, the airline says.

Extra firefighters had to be brought in to help remove the “disruptive” passenger from a back door, it says. The person was removed from the plane on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The flight continued to San Jose after about an hour delay on the ground at Dulles, according to United.

No further details were immediately provided on the passenger, the passenger’s behavior or potential charges in the case. In a statement, the FBI only said that agents and local law enforcement responded to “reports of an incident,” but did not provide additional details.

No injuries to other passengers or flight crew were reported. It wasn’t clear how many people were on the flight at the time.