Heavily armed police have been called to a plane at Melbourne's Tullamarine airport after a man who reportedly claimed to have a bomb tried to enter the cockpit of a Malaysia Airlines flighpt.
Key points:
Plane turned back to Melbourne after man tried to get into the cockpit
Passengers tackled him and he was arrested by tactical police on landing
The incident saw the airport closed overnight
Flight MH128 from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur was forced to turn back to Melbourne shortly after take-off when the passenger tried to enter the cockpit, the airline and police say.
Witnesses described how the man, carrying an object, went towards the front of the plane shortly after it took off at 11:11pm.
He was tackled by passengers who overpowered him and tied him up with belts.
Former AFL player Andrew Leoncelli told the ABC he was near the front of the plane and saw a man carrying a big object go towards the cockpit and become really agitated, saying "I'm going to f***ing blow the plane up".
He said the man then ran to the back of the plane, where he was subdued.
The plane landed back at Melbourne just before midnight and was parked in a remote bay.
Heavily-armed police wearing helmets and body armour and carrying rifles boarded the plane and put the man under arrest.
"There appears to be no imminent threat to passengers, staff or public and the investigation is ongoing," Senior Constable Adam West said.
The airport was closed during the incident but has now reopened.
