American Airlines issued a same-day confirmation that an incident occurred on the carrier's Flight 488, from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to Miami, Florida, involving a single individual who is now in custody.
"A customer entered the open flight deck and caused damage to the aircraft. Crew members intervened and the individual was ultimately apprehended by local law enforcement," the Texas-based airliner said in a statement to The Hill.
A replacement aircraft was issued by the company, which rescheduled the flight for 9:30 p.m. local time.
"We applaud our outstanding crew members for their professionalism in handling a difficult situation," the American Airlines statement noted.
Although details about the incident were not shared, ABC News transportation reporter Sam Sweeney tweeted that a pilot had attempted to block the male suspect from jumping out of an open cockpit window while the plane was on the ground.
Footage uploaded to social media showed what appeared to be a man dangling out the cockpit window of an American Airlines jet.
An alleged photo of the damage caused by the suspect was also included.