United Flight 1551 diverted to Dulles

United Airlines diverted Flight 1551 to Washington Dulles International Airport on Thursday, May 21, after a passenger allegedly tried to open a cabin door while the jet was en route from Newark Liberty International Airport to Guatemala City. The Boeing 737 Max 8 landed safely at about 8:30 p.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and United. United said 145 passengers and six crew members were on board. The airline said law enforcement met the aircraft after landing and that there were no reports of injuries. The incident added to a recent run of unruly-passenger cases involving U.S. carriers, though officials had not publicly identified the passenger or announced charges as of Friday. United said the flight was canceled after landing and that customers were given overnight accommodations. The airline added a replacement flight for Friday morning. ### How did the diversion unfold? Flight 1551 departed Newark at about 7 p.m. for Guatemala City, United said in a statement reported by NBC News. The FAA said the crew reported a passenger disturbance before the plane diverted to Dulles. Air traffic control audio cited by NBC News and NBC Washington captured a controller asking which door the passenger had tried to open. A crew member replied: “Door 2L at 36,000 feet,” and added that the passenger then assaulted another person on the flight. ### What did United and the FAA say? United said the aircraft “landed safely” at Dulles and was met by law enforcement to address what the airline described as an “unruly” passenger. The carrier said there were no reported injuries. The FAA said the plane landed at Dulles around 8:30 p.m. local time after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. The agency did not identify the passenger in the statements carried by NBC News and local outlets. ### Were passengers able to continue to Guatemala? United said the original flight was canceled after the diversion. The airline added a replacement flight for Friday morning and provided overnight hotel accommodations to customers, according to NBC News. NBC Washington reported passengers were set to fly out Friday. Neither United nor the FAA, in the reports available Friday, gave a more detailed timeline for when all travelers reached Guatemala City. ### How unusual are these cases? The FAA said in a separate recent NBC News report that unruly-passenger incidents have fallen from the 2021 peak but still occur regularly. The agency recorded 1,621 such incidents in 2025, according to that earlier NBC report. The FAA said airlines had reported about 600 unruly-passenger incidents so far in 2026, according to WJLA. Under federal law, the agency can propose civil penalties of up to $43,658 per violation in unruly-passenger cases, and a single episode can lead to multiple alleged violations. ### What is still unknown? Officials had not released the passenger’s name, a possible motive or any criminal charge by Friday, according to NBC Washington. Local reporting also said investigators had not disclosed additional details about what triggered the disturbance onboard. The next public updates are likely to come from the FAA, airport police or federal prosecutors if charges are filed. United’s replacement flight for affected customers was scheduled for Friday morning, and the investigation was described by local media as ongoing.