Aircraft route to Los Angeles altered due to passenger engaging in violent behavior towards other passengers, using a belt as a weapon.
On Wednesday, August 13, 2025, Breeze Airways Flight MX704 from Norfolk, Virginia, to Los Angeles, California, was forced to make an emergency landing at Grand Junction Regional Airport in Colorado. The incident occurred due to a belligerent and intoxicated passenger who initiated a physical altercation with other passengers and flight attendants.
According to a statement issued by the Grand Junction Police Department, the passenger was yelling racial slurs and waving a skateboard aggressively. Other passengers had to hold the passenger down until the plane landed. Despite being restrained twice, the passenger managed to break free and continue his violent behavior.
Upon landing, Grand Junction police took the attacker into custody at the direction of the FBI, who are actively investigating the incident. One flight attendant and one passenger were evaluated for minor injuries, although no serious injuries were reported. The passenger remains in custody at Mesa County Detention Facility.
The flight resumed after the incident and reached its destination later that evening. The trip to their destination is expected to take about an hour and a half.
Incidents where airline passengers have disrupted flights with threatening or violent behavior have become an ongoing problem. In 2021, the FAA saw a record-high number of such incidents and received a staggering 5,973 reports that year. Since the start of 2022, there have been 1,007 unruly passenger reports, according to the FAA.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Grand Junction police for comment, but no further charges or detailed information about the investigation have been released yet, with authorities describing it as ongoing. It is not immediately clear if the belt used as a weapon was one of the passenger's restraints or if it was one he was wearing.
Footage shows the attacker being escorted down the aisle by police officers, and the incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining a safe and respectful environment on flights.
