Delta co-pilot arrested at California airport moments after landing, witnesses say

(KTLA) – A Delta Air Lines co-pilot was taken into custody shortly after landing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Saturday, according to passengers who witnessed the incident.  

Flight 2809 from Minneapolis arrived at SFO a little after 9:30 p.m. on July 26. But before any passengers were allowed to deplane the Boeing 757, around 10 federal agents, including Homeland Security Investigations and others identifying as Federal Air Marshals, “stormed” onto the plane and arrested the co-pilot, passengers told the San Francisco Chronicle and the travel outlet View From the Wing.

“A group of people with badges, guns, and different agency vests/markings were pushing their way up through the aisle to the cockpit,” according to a passenger who spoke with the Chronicle.  

The co-pilot was then “ushered” off the flight, the witness said.

A video taken by one of the passengers and shared with View From the Wing reportedly shows federal agents in plainclothes leaving the plane, while the other pilot watches the incident unfold from inside the cockpit.

As of Monday, the co-pilot had not been identified publicly. A representative for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately return a request for further information.

After the incident, the pilot reportedly told the passengers he had “no idea” what was happening, a passenger told the Chronicle.

A correspondent for Fox News has reported that the co-pilot was arrested “on charges of child sexual abuse material,” citing a senior federal source with the information. So far, however, there has been no official confirmation of that from authorities.  

Reached for comment, Delta Air Lines told Nexstar’s KTLA that it was referring all questions about the incident to law enforcement.