Malaysia Airlines passengers tackle man threatening to blow up plane, by Simone Koob.

Malaysia Airlines passengers have described how they overpowered a man who was threatening to blow up the plane as it flew over Melbourne.

Flight MH128 was only 10 minutes into its flight from Melbourne to Kualur Lumpur when the man, a Sri Lankan, tried to enter the cockpit, shouting that he had explosives.

Former Melbourne AFL player turned commercial property agent Andrew Leoncelli, who helped tackle the alleged offender, said the entire incident was “over in three minutes”.

Mr Leoncelli told Radio 3AW how he ran to help crew who were screaming for help as the man attempted to enter the cockpit. …

Mr Leoncelli told The Australian: “They dragged him down the back of the plane, and he wasn’t exactly hog tied, but he was immobilised with his arms and legs behind his back.” …

Mr Leoncelli said the man was holding a device “the size of a watermelon. … It was huge, it was black and it had two black antennae coming off it, but it also looked like an iPhone jack. So it could have been just a beatbox thing,” he said. “I think the guy was just an idiot”.

He told the ABC the man was tall. “Taller than me with a beanie on, wearing dark clothing, dark skin, carrying a giant thing, a very strange-looking thing with antennas coming off it.” …

It’s been revealed the man has a history of mental illness, Victoria Police superintendent Tony Langdon told ABC TV. “We do not believe this is terrorist-related at the moment.” …

hat-tip Stephen Neil