Heroic passengers stop disguised teen who boarded flight with shotgun

Three heroic passengers were able to detain a 17-year-old boy who allegedly dressed as a maintenance worker to board a Jetstar flight at an Australian airport — with a shotgun and ammunition, police said.

Terror swept through Sydney-bound Flight 610 on Thursday morning when the boy, who has yet to be publicly identified, snuck through a hole in the security fencing at Avalon Airport and boarded the flight with a shotgun in tow, Victoria police said in a statement.

The teen, however, was quickly overpowered by three civilians who tossed caution to the wind to save their fellow passengers, pinning the 17-year-old to the floor until security arrived.

“All I could do was push [the flight attendant] out of the way, get the gun out of the way, break that, throw it down the stairs, and then put him in a hold and throw him to the ground until the police come,” passenger Barry Clark told local ABC Radio.

Clark, who was sitting in the front row, said he watched as the teen began arguing with a flight attendant, noting that the suspect was “perfectly dressed for the job” of a regular maintenance worker.

As the argument grew heated, the teen pulled out the gun, spurring Clark and two other passengers into action to help the flight attendant and prevent tragedy on the plane, which was carrying 160 passengers.

“You don’t think, you act. I’ve been taught from a boy to be responsible and look after others,” Clarke said.

“And we’re a sporting family, so I was quietly confident I could handle him … so you just gotta do what you gotta do,” he added.

Kim McLeod, another passenger on the flight, said that the flight attendant was able to stop the suspect near the door because the maintenance crew had already cleared the plane for take off.

The suspect’s sudden appearance with his attire immediately raised suspicion, McLeod told The Guardian.

After Clark and the other passengers detained the teen, police and airport security quickly arrived to take the suspect into custody and allow everyone to exit the plane.

Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Reid touted the passenger’s quick actions, adding that police recovered the shotgun and ammunition the suspect was carrying.

“No doubt this would have been a very terrifying incident for the passengers of that plane, and Victorian police really commend the bravery of those passengers who were able to overpower that male,” Reid told reporters.

Reid said officers have located the teenager’s car and are investigating the incident with counter-terror teams.

While police have yet to publicly identify the suspect, officials said he was not previously known to police.

Jetstar, the only operator of commercial flights at the Avalon airport, said it was grateful that the incident ended without anyone getting hurt.

“We’re aware of a security incident at Avalon airport this afternoon and are working with police and the airport to urgently understand what has occurred,” the airliner said in a statement.

“The safety of our passengers and crew is our number one priority and we can confirm there are no reported injuries.”