A US airliner¹ en route to Las Vegas was diverted to Denver after a passenger tried to open an exterior² door on the plane, officials say.

一架飞往拉斯维加斯的美国客机被迫转飞至丹佛降落，因一位乘客试图打开飞机上的舱门。

They say the United Airlines flight from Washington with 134 people aboard landed in Denver on Saturday evening and police detained扣留 the passenger.

The man had reportedly consumed alcohol before and during the flight.

Flight 223 then continued to Las Vegas, where it landed safely several hours later, the officials say.

"There was a disturbance³干扰，骚动 onboard, an unruly不守规矩的 passenger. Due to that disturbance, pilots decided⁴ to divert to Denver," local police said in a statement.

The man - who has not been identified - made his way towards one of the emergency exits carrying a brown paper bag, CBS News reports.

When flight attendants空中服务人员 asked him what was in it, he allegedly replied: "You'll see."

Fellow passengers then wrestled⁵ him to the ground and kept him pinned there until he was arrested by police in Denver.

The man was later questioned by police. He was also sent for a medical evaluation⁶, the Associated Press reports.