A Southwest Airlines passenger opened an emergency exit door and climbed onto the wing of a plane while it was at a gate, according to US authorities.
The passenger onboard the aircraft, which was stationary at New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport, hopped out of the plane before it had left the airport, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said.
“The man climbed onto the wing of the aircraft and jumped to the ground. He was captured near the plane by ground personnel and held until the arrival of deputies,” the sheriff’s office said.
It is not yet clear what passenger’s motives were. The sheriff’s office said the passenger appeared “incoherent and not fully aware of his surroundings.”
A passenger was detained and hospitalized after opening an emergency exit door on a Southwest Airlines plane. https://t.co/OBYCwbMUso pic.twitter.com/B1fv0V0WTD
— USA TODAY Travel (@usatodaytravel) November 28, 2023
He has since been transported to a hospital as it’s believed that he was “suffering from a mental health emergency.”
Southwest Airlines confirmed the incident and said that the flight, which was delayed about two hours, eventually departed to Atlanta and continued onto Baltimore.
“We commend our flight and ground crews for their swift action and apologize to our customers for their inconvenience,” a spokesperson for the airline said.
The passenger is not expected to face any criminal charges, but an investigation has been referred to federal authorities.
(Featured Image: Zed Webster & iStock/Joe Hendrickson)
