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Unruly passenger causes emergency landing in Texas

Xinhua, October 19, 2011

• A Southwest Airlines flight made an emergency landing in a Texas town Tuesday afternoon after a male passenger attempted to break into the cockpit, authorities said.

  Crew of Southwest's Flight 3683 from Los Angeles to Kansas City asked for emergency clearance to land in Amarillo, Texas, after the passenger confronted the crew, local aviation chief Patrick Rhodes told reporters.

  The man, Ali Reza Shahsauri, a 29-year-old U.S. citizen, was arrested on a charge of interference with a flight crew and turned over to federal authorities for questioning.

  None of the 136 passengers and five crew members aboard the flight was injured, said Brad Hawkins, spokesman for Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines.

  The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were involved in the investigation, with TSA spokeswoman Sarah Horowitz saying information was still being gathered on the incident. The FBI said initial probe found that the unruly passenger had no terroristic intent.

  The plane departed for its scheduled destination after security sweep, officials said.

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