A Delta Airlines copilot was arrested in dramatic fashion moments after Flight 2809 landed at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday night, July 26, according to multiple reports.
The flight, which originated in Minneapolis, touched down around 9:35 p.m. Within minutes, approximately 10 law enforcement officers—some believed to be from the Department of Homeland Security—boarded the aircraft and entered the cockpit, where they took the unnamed copilot into custody.
Passengers on board were stunned by the swift and unexpected action. One witness told View from the Wing that the officers “stormed” the cockpit and led the copilot out of the plane in handcuffs. Another passenger, identified only as Sarah, told ABC7 News the scene was “traumatic to watch.”
“They barged through, stormed the cockpit, removed the copilot, cuffed him, and brought him down the aisle,” she recalled. “Everyone on board was shocked and confused.”
Officials have not publicly identified the pilot or disclosed the reason for the arrest.
A spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Francisco confirmed the agency assisted local authorities in executing an arrest warrant. “This is an ongoing local investigation with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office,” the spokesperson said.
Video footage shared online appeared to show both plainclothes officers and uniformed air marshals participating in the operation.
Passengers were left shaken and with few answers. “There was just a huge question mark,” Sarah said. “I didn’t know if a crime had been committed or if something worse was about to happen. I got off the plane, got in the car, and cried.”
Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the Transportation Security Administration provided further details. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California has not yet issued a statement, and Delta Airlines has declined to comment at this time.
