The pilot of a small plane made an emergency landing at Norwood Memorial Airport Friday after a passenger with a developmental disorder grabbed the control yoke and started twisting it around, officials said.
The pilot landed the single-engine Cessna 172 aircraft safely. Norwood police responded and concluded there was no criminal intent on behalf of the passenger, Police Chief William Brooks said in a statement.
The incident took place around 11:45 a.m.
A pilot from a flight school based at the Norwood airport “was giving a promotional ride to a woman and her 60-year-old brother. The brother, who was reported to police to be a person with a developmental disorder, grabbed the flight control yoke during the flight and attempted to move it around,’' according to the statement released by Brooks.
Advertisement
The pilot, an experienced flight instructor, maintained control of the aircraft and was always in communication with air traffic controllers, according to Brooks.
No injuries were reported.
The incident remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency said in an e-mail to the Globe.
John R. Ellement can be reached at john.ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe. Chad Finn can be reached at chad.finn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeChadFinn.