Georgia Army veteran grandmother hailed as hero after stopping plane passenger from storming cockpit mid-flight

“Nobody else was doing nothing, so I just knew I had to do something,” Nicole Pruitt told WSAZ 3.

The incident occurred on July 16, about 20 minutes into the flight, when a female passenger attempted to force her way into the cockpit. According to Pruitt, the woman claimed she had received a message from God telling her to get off the plane mid-flight.

“She didn’t want to be on the plane anymore. She said God told her to do it. She had a calling,” Pruitt explained. “And I’m like, ‘Wait a minute... Not today.’”

A viral video showed Pruitt restraining the woman on the floor of the aircraft. Pruitt said she was determined to maintain control of the situation, motivated by her desire to meet her new grandson and return home safely. 

“I’ve got to make it home to my kids, my children, my grandchildren,” she said.

Her son, Tyrique Perry, was waiting to greet her in Tucson and said he was “not surprised” by his mother’s bravery. 

“Those are kids on that plane that have a whole life to live. Those are grandparents on that plane, parents on that plane,” Perry said, “just people full of life and potential.”

“Sometimes, it’s just a natural instinct and you’ve got to get it done,” he added. Perry shared the video online so the public could see his mother’s actions firsthand.