DALLAS – Passengers on American Airlines Flight 2332 were settling in for a trip to Chicago on Friday when they say a flight attendant took over the public-address system and launched into a rant that included references to 9/11 and the safety of their plane.

At first puzzled, then frightened, several passengers wrestled the flight attendant into a seat while the plane was still on the ground at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

The pilot returned the plane to the gate, where it was met by airport police and the FBI. After a delay of more than an hour, the plane finally took off.

A federal law enforcement official said police determined the incident was a medical issue and not a security threat.

The official said the flight attendant was taken to Parkland Hospital in Dallas for evaluation. American said two crew members went to hospitals after the incident.

Bethany Christakos of Dallas, seated toward the rear of the plane, said passengers started “freaking out” as one of the flight attendants launched into a rambling, 15-minute speech.

“She said, ‘I’m not responsible for this plane crashing,’ ” Christakos said.

“The last thing I heard her say before someone pulled the mic out of her hand was, ‘Hey pilot, I’m not going to be responsible for your crash,’ ” said Greg Lozano of Elmhurst, Ill.

Brad LeClear of Fox Lake, Ill., said he was one of several passengers who restrained the flight attendant. She said something about 9/11 – that she wished she could have stopped the terror attacks that used hijacked jetliners, he said.

“She mentioned being bipolar, and I asked her if she had taken her medicine, and she said, no,” he said.