The extraction of unruly or dangerous persons from commercial aircraft is not a daily occurrence, but it does happen with some frequency. Arrests and detentions may be common for Federal crimes such as interfering with the flight crew, or for State law violations such as simple battery or indecent exposure. Anonymous tips on arriving passengers with outstanding arrest warrants or drug possession also require law enforcement action. Tactical guidelines and a planned response are needed for a competent suspect contact prior to any law enforcement action. These guidelines should cover what constitutes criminal law violations versus Federal regulations, hazard identification, the control of passenger egress and crew actions, the forceful extraction of resistive suspects from the aircraft, and documentation of victim and witness accounts. If an actual Federal or State violation is at issue, detention is called for. Procedures to guide airport security officers in detaining a suspect are examined that emphasize maintaining control over the suspect while taking him or her into custody and physical extraction. 4 photographs