'Knocking on cockpit door': American Airlines flight makes emergency landing after pilots mistake crew for hijackers

An American Airlines flight was forced to return to Omaha Airport on Monday after the pilots mistakenly believed passengers were trying to break into the cockpit, reports New York Post. The flight had departed for Los Angeles but made an emergency landing less than 40 minutes into the journey. The plane was only about 40 miles into its 1,300-mile trip when the incident occurred. The misunderstanding began when the pilots lost contact with the cabin crew due to a glitch with the intercom system. “After landing, it was determined there was a problem with the inter-phone system and the flight crew was knocking on the cockpit door,” the Federal Aviation Administration said. Hearing banging on the cockpit door and static over the intercom, the pilots feared a hijacking attempt. They swif