Passenger detained after being hit with an axe

A passenger who tried to force his way into the cockpit of a United Airlines plane has been detained after the co-pilot hit him on the head with an axe.

The FBI said Pablo Morcira, a banker from Uruguay, was restrained by the flight crew on a flight from Miami.

He was later arrested by police after the flight landed as scheduled in Buenos Aires.

United Airlines Flight 855 took off at midnight with 157 people aboard.

Morcira, 28, began kicking the cockpit door about five hours into the flight, as the jetliner flew over Brazil.

The captain opened the cockpit door and Morcira made it inside. The co-pilot grabbed a small axe and hit Morcira in the head, subduing him.

Judy Orihuela, an FBI spokeswoman in Miami, said Morcira did not appear drunk and was not armed. She said she was not aware of any threats made by Morcira or what prompted him to try to enter the cockpit.

He was treated for his injuries and was lucid and in stable condition. A flight attendant also received minor injuries while trying to keep Morcira out.

Morcira will be charged with interfering with a flight crew and flown back to Miami. United Airlines said it had notified local authorities and the FBI about the incident. In a statement, United said flights to and from Argentina would continue as scheduled.