Man arrested after flight from Omaha to Detroit diverted during passenger disturbance | FOX 2 Detroit
Expand / Collapse search
☰

Man arrested after flight from Omaha to Detroit diverted during passenger disturbance

By Brendan Vrabel
Updated  July 18, 2025 8:55am EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 2 Detroit

(Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images)

The Brief

    • An airplane had to make an unplanned landing after a midair disturbance with a passenger.
    • The flight, which was routed from Omaha to Detroit, landed where police arrested a Nebraska man.
    • Police say more charges are possible as an investigation is ongoing.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A flight from Omaha to Detroit had an unplanned landing after a passenger disturbance while in the air.

What they're saying:

Police from Cedar Rapids, Iowa said at 6:13 p.m., they were called to the Eastern Iowa Airport following an in-air disturbance by a male passenger on a SkyWest flight from Omaha to Detroit.

The flight was then diverted to Cedar Rapids where officers met up with the flight and arrested the accused man.

Police say the passenger has been identified as 23-year-old Mario Nikprelaj from Nebraska and he was taken to the Linn County Correctional Center. 

Dig deeper:

Nikprelaj has been charged with:

  • Disorderly Conduct
  • Assault
  • Possession of Prescription Medication
  • Tax Stamp
  • Harassment 1st Degree

Police say more charges are possible as an investigation is ongoing.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story said the plane was headed from Iowa to Michigan. The plane was from Omaha but landed in Iowa after the disturbance.

Crime and Public SafetyDetroitIowaInstastories