Missoula Montana Airport was witness to something they usually do not experience. On October 22, 2024, a man named Justin Seymour, 34, attempted to enter an Alaska Airlines plane cockpit in Montana. Reportedly, Seymour claimed "bad people" told him to fly the plane all the way to Estonia. He was arrested after his failed attempt to take over the cockpit, which ended up injuring three people.
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Seymour rushed through officers and breached a TSA security line before he reached gate A1 of Missoula Montana Airport, according to KGVO. Alaska Airlines Flight 697 was just deplaning when Seymour successfully boarded the plane. He had to push a Horizon Air employee to the ground first, though, straining the tendon muscles connected to her clavicle. She became the first of the injured by Seymour.
On the plane, one of the flight attendants attempted to block Seymour from reaching the cockpit. Seymour shoves the attendant into the cockpit door. He was adamant on taking control of the aircraft. Another flight attendant tried to distract Seymour so that they could rotate the deadbolt on the cockpit door, locking it, and preventing Seymour from entering. He noticed what the attendant was doing, and rushed against the cockpit door, crushing the attendant's hand and fingers.
A Disturbed Man
Law enforcement then boarded the plane and got hold of Seymour as he screamed that he had to go to Estonia. They removed him from the plane, put him in handcuffs, and arrested him.
Seymour began rambling about his plans: "All I had to do was fly the plane but I didn't. I thought I was going to be able to," Seymour told officers, according to court documents. Seymour reportedly does not know how to fly a plane as he stated that "it seems easy enough to learn." Moreover, he also told officers that some "bad people" instructed him to fly the plane to Seattle, Washington, and then to Estonia.
Law enforcement officers arrested Justin Seymour and transported him to the Missoula County Detention Facility. He is being held on a $500,000 bond and was charged with felony robbery and felony aggravated burglary.
