A teenager has been arrested in Australia after boarding a commercial aircraft with a loaded shotgun, police have said.
The 17-year-old boy was overpowered and detained by crew and passengers following the incident at Avalon Airport, about 60km (37 miles) from Melbourne, on Thursday, Victoria Police said.
None of the approximately 160 passengers and crew on the Jetstar Airways plane were hurt.
Police charged the teen with eight offences, including endangering the safe operation of an aircraft and possession of a firearm.
During an appearance by the teen at a juvenile court on Friday, police alleged that he had planted a fake homemade explosive and threatened passengers and crew, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Reid told reporters on Thursday that the teen had been overpowered by several passengers.
“No doubt this would have been a very terrifying incident for the passengers of that plane, and Victoria Police really commend the bravery of the passengers who were able to overpower that male,” Reid said.
Barry Clark, one of the passengers who tackled the suspect, told local media that he had sprung into action after noticing the suspect becoming agitated while arguing with a flight attendant about the firearm.
“I saw the barrel butt, and when I saw the complete gun, I said we’re in trouble here and I saw it toward her chest, and so I thought, well, I’ve got to do something,” Clark said in an interview with Network 10.
“This is all happening in a matter of seconds. So I got up quietly. He had his back to me, the young girl was facing me, and the gun was only visible,” Clark said.
“But I knew that if I went to the side and pushed the gun away from him, at least if it went off, it would go off in the side of the plane and there was no one there.”
