A passenger was escorted off a Frontier Airlines flight from Cancun to St. Louis that was eventually suspended after an onboard disturbance Monday, according to KTVI.
The man tried to get off Frontier Flight 87 as the plane was taxiing to the runway, authorities said.
A passenger on the flight, Kathleen Ingham, recorded video showing the man struggling with crew members and passengers.
A Frontier Airlines spokesperson said the flight was getting ready for takeoff when a passenger claimed he was feeling ill and became agitated, causing the pilot to return the plane to the gate.
The airline said the man became physically violent with a flight attendant and opened a cabin door, which automatically deployed the emergency slide. The man attempted to exit the plane as crew members and passengers restrained him until Mexican police arrived.
Cellphone video shows the passenger and his father outside their plane speaking with Mexican authorities. He was transported to a hospital for medical evaluation.
The passenger’s mother said her son was on vacation with his father and was attacked the night before inside a Cancun hotel and hit on the head. She also said she believes her son’s drink may have been spiked.
The man’s name has not been released. His family said he remains hospitalized in Mexico.
Frontier Airlines removed the aircraft from service and rebooked passengers on other flights and provided them with hotel accommodations.
The airline offered no additional comment and said Mexican authorities were investigating the incident.
