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Fight forces plane to the ground Drunken man forces plane to land
(about 2 hours later)
A Russian passenger plane has made an emergency landing at Prague airport after a drunk passenger started a fight and demanded a change of route. A Russian passenger plane has made an emergency landing at Prague airport after a drunken passenger started a fight and demanded a change of route.
Czech police described the incident as an attempted hijacking, but said the hijacker had been pacified on board. Czech police described the incident as an attempted hijacking, but a spokesman for the airline, Aeroflot, said it seemed to be a case of "hooliganism".
Russia's Tass news agency says the man fought with two other passengers on the Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Geneva, and threatened to damage the plane. Aeroflot said the passenger started a fight and claimed to have an explosive device before being overpowered.
An Aeroflot spokeswoman said there was an "attempted assault" on the crew. It said all passengers on the Moscow to Geneva flight were in good health.
The Airbus A-320 taxied to an outer area of the airport, where it was surrounded by emergency vehicles. The Airbus A-320 taxied to an outer area of the airport after landing, where it was surrounded by emergency vehicles.
According to Tass, the trouble-maker was bound and handed over to the Czech police. Man tied-up
Police are reported to be inspecting the plane and luggage, before giving the go-ahead for the plane to continue to Geneva. "Today, on flight 271 Moscow-Geneva, one of the passengers on the flight declared that he had an explosive device," said Aeroflot deputy chief executive Lev Koshlyakov.
"The culprit was foiled on board the plane, meaning he was pacified," Czech police spokesman Pavel Hantak told Reuters news agency. "The crew, in accordance with the current rules, asked to make an emergency landing in Prague and landed at Prague airport. Local law enforcement apprehended the passenger.
He added that this had not resulted in any damage to the man's health. "The preliminary version is that this was a case of hooliganism."
He added that the troublemaker was Russian, and that the plane was now preparing to continue its flight to Geneva.
Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted another Aeroflot spokesman as saying that a drunken passenger provoked a brawl, threatened to damage the plane and demanded that it change course.
It said the man had been tied up on board.
Czech police said there had been an attempted hijacking and that a man had been taken into custody.