Moment Delta passenger is arrested after opening a plane’s emergency exit door as it taxied down the LAX runway – deploying its evacuation slide
- A passenger on a flight from LA to Seattle was arrested by Los Angeles International Airport police after attempting to open the plane’s exit door
- The incident happened on Saturday morning when a Delta plane was taxiing
- Officials said the man was not formally arrested but “the subject was taken to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.”
A passenger on a Delta flight from LA to Seattle was arrested after opening the plane’s emergency exit door and deploying its slide as it taxied down the runway.
The incident happened around 10 a.m. Saturday morning on a flight just departing from the gate at LAX.
In footage posted by one of the plane’s passengers, the man can be seen handcuffed on the tarmac as police hold him back.
‘Holy shit. Just as my flight was leaving the gate at LAX, a man ran out of the back of the plane and opened the door. Flight attendants tried to stop him but he triggered the slide and jumped out,” wrote Gillian Sheldon, a passenger.
It’s the latest horror onboard a US flight, after a United passenger threatened mass murder earlier this month and attempted to open the emergency exit.
A passenger on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Seattle was arrested by airport police Saturday morning after opening the plane’s emergency exit door while taxiing
Police officers boarded the LA-Seattle flight and arrested the “unruly passenger.”
According to local media reports, Los Angeles airport police responded to the incident and arrested the man.
“Due to the circumstances, the FBI has been notified,” said Karla Rodriguez, Los Angeles Airport Police Chief.
In a video posted by Sheldon on Twitter, an unidentified man can be seen on the tarmac outside the plane, his hands behind his back, appearing to be handcuffed.
An officer escorts the man around a patrol car. The man appears in a red and blue striped sweater with black pants and black shoes.
While the bald man with a beard and glasses is being led across the runway, flight attendants on board can be heard speaking over the aircraft’s public address system.
“The captain is talking to air traffic control and the officials out there,” says a flight attendant. “As soon as we have more information, we will make an announcement.”
After the man opened the exit door, the plane returned to the gate and the passengers were taken away and transferred to another plane.
A passenger on board shared her experience on Twitter, adding pictures and videos
In a video posted to Twitter by Gillian Sheldon, an unidentified man can be seen on the tarmac outside the plane, his hands behind his back in what appears to be handcuffs
The incident happened on a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Seattle
An airport official said the man was “taken to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.”
Thank you @Delta for looking after us so well from this flight onwards. What a crazy experience!’ Sheldon wrote in a tweet on Saturday
According to local media, the man was not arrested after opening the door. An officer said he was “taken to a local hospital for a mental health assessment.”
In a statement after the incident, Delta said they worked quickly to fix the issue.
“Delta Flight 1714, operating from Los Angeles to Seattle, returned to the gate because of a recalcitrant passenger, the statement said.
“The plane stopped for takeoff as the passenger exited the plane and was initially apprehended by Delta employees before being apprehended by local law enforcement.”
“Customers will be rebooked on a new aircraft and we apologize for the inconvenience and delay in their travel plans,” it said.
Thank you @Delta for looking after us so well from this flight onwards. What a crazy experience!’ Sheldon wrote in a tweet on Saturday.