New York - A Delta Airlines plane on a flight from New York to Tel Aviv was forced early Saturday to make an emergency landing in Boston after a passenger sought to force his way into the cockpit, the local television channel WCVB reported. The report said that some 2 hours after the fully-loaded Boeing 767 plane took off, a man tried to storm the cockpit.

Five passengers managed to overpower him and keep him tied down with a safety belt until the plane could land at Boston's Logan airport.

The man was described as a 22-year-old Israeli.

Airport authorities ruled out terrorism as a motive. It was possible that the man had suffered an anxiety attack.

The man will go before an arraigning judge on Monday on charges of impeding air traffic.

The Delta plane had 206 passengers and 11 crew on board when the incident occurred. After a three-hour stop in Boston, the plane proceeded on its journey to Tel Aviv.(dpa)