A Delta flight headed to Tucson, Arizona was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff when a passenger attempted to breach the cockpit and open an emergency exit.
But thanks to the quick-thinking bravery of 69-year-old Nicole Pruitt, the incident was de-escalated before anyone was seriously harmed.
The retired U.S. Army veteran from Atlanta sprang into action when a woman, just 20 minutes into the flight, began screaming and trying to access the emergency exit doors before heading toward the cockpit.
“She was yelling and screaming. She said, ‘God told her to get off this plane,’” Nicole told reporters. “She was headed to the cockpit. I just jumped in.”
While some flight attendants appeared frozen in shock, Nicole didn’t hesitate. Drawing on her military training, she physically restrained the woman mid-air.
“I felt like my life was in danger,” she said. “So I got her down on the ground. It wasn’t hard to do because I think she wasn’t even expecting it. And at that moment, I told the flight attendants, ‘Could you please get some restraints for her?’ She was very strong, but my determination was even stronger.”
The pilot turned the aircraft around and made an emergency landing back in Atlanta. The disruptive passenger was removed from the flight and taken into custody for evaluation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later confirmed that the woman was experiencing a “medical emergency.”
Delta Airlines issued a statement thanking both the crew and passengers for their cooperation:
“Delta sincerely appreciated the actions of our crew and customers for de-escalating this situation. We apologize to our customers for the delay and thank them for their understanding.”
The flight later resumed its journey to Tucson, arriving safely with no further incident.
As for Nicole, she returned to her seat and finished the flight calmly, her heroism leaving a lasting impression.
