Flight Attendant Zip-Ties Man's Wrists After Botched Plane Hijacking, Delta Flight Diverted

A Delta Air Lines flight attendant has been hailed a hero after tackling a man to the ground following a botched plane hijacking attempt that prompted the flight to be diverted on Friday.

According to witnesses, Delta Flight 386 from Los Angeles bound for Nashville had been disrupted when an unruly passenger allegedly tried to breach the cockpit and hijack the plane.

During the flight, the "seemingly unprovoked" and unsuspecting man allegedly got up from his seat and rushed to the pilot's cabin before banging on the doors in a frenzy. He was heard repeatedly screaming at staff to "stop the plane!"

Delta Flight 386 crew members tried to approach the man, asking him to return to his seat for everyone's safety. The passenger, however, continued on with his frantic calls to stop the flight, forcing staff to tackle and wrestle him to the floor at the front of the cabin, Fox News reported.

Some flight passengers were able to capture footage of the encounter. One video showed the moment staff member Christopher Williams, in a Delta uniform, restrained and wrestled the unruly passenger to the ground.

The unidentified man had persistently protested from restraint but was successfully zip-tied by Williams, who detained him before anyone was harmed, phone camera footage of the incident shows.

Following the havoc, the flight then had to make an emergency landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at around 2:00 p.m. to boot him out of the plane. Delta crew members moved to turn the suspect over to the FBI and police.

The name of the passenger in question remains unknown. Police are yet to detail the motive behind the hijacking attempt and whether Delta will press any charges against him. Meanwhile, authorities noted that no injuries were sustained in the incident, VT.co reported.

In a statement, Delta Air Lines expressed its tremendous gratitude to the crew and passengers of Delta Flight 386, LAX to Nashville, who made the right call in detaining the suspect.

"The passenger was not successful. The plane landed safely and the passenger was removed by police and the FBI. He is in custody now," the statement read.

FBI Albuquerque reassured the public in a Twitter post that there was no active threat to the community.

Twitter user Jessica Robertson, who shared a video of the ordeal on the plane, said, "I was on this flight in the 3rd row. Witnessed everything. Terrifying but our @Delta flight attendant Christopher Williams acted quickly so did several passengers around me. Safe but still in Albuquerque. Hope @delta gives Chris every bit of recognition and bonus he deserves."

Another photo shows Delta employee Williams, who helped restrain the unidentified man, seated with his hands together and his head lowered, obviously distressed from the perceived danger on air. The social media user tagged Delta and said, "This man needs an award. [He] just saved the plane. LA flight to Nashville."

Following the emergency landing, passengers saw a five-hour delay at Albuquerque International Sunport before boarding a new flight at around 8:15 p.m. that successfully took them on to Nashville, NDTV noted.