Delta Airline passenger opens exit door, activates emergency slide for takeoff

News

By Sarah Rumpf, Fox News

March 26, 2023 | 12:37 pm

A Delta Airlines passenger on a flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was arrested Saturday for reportedly open an emergency exit door on board the aircraft through which the aircraft’s emergency slide is activated prior to takeoff.

According to Los Angeles Airport Police, at approximately 10 a.m. EST, an unidentified passenger, wearing a striped red and navy sweater with black pants, rushed to the front of the plane as the plane pushed away from the gate and asked the flight attendant, “ What should I do now?”

Passengers told FOX 11 that the flight attendant insisted the man sit down, but he ran away from the Delta Air Lines flight attendant and went to the plane’s emergency exits, flipped the latch, opened the door and slid down the deployed emergency slide.

The plane was forced to stop and passengers told FOX 11 that the man had jumped onto the back of a baggage car, where baggage handlers held him until LAX police got there.

“He is being taken to a local hospital for a mental evaluation,” said Sgt. said Devin Feldman.

The Los Angeles Airport Police Department said the FBI had been notified of the event.

“The airport police responded and detained the passenger for further investigation. Due to the circumstances, the FBI was notified,” the Los Angeles Airport Police told Fox News Digital in a statement.

“Delta Flight 1714, operating from Los Angeles to Seattle, returned to the gate due to an unruly passenger. The plane was stalled for taxiing for takeoff when the passenger exited the plane and was initially detained by Delta personnel before being arrested by local police.” Delta Airlines reports this in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Customers will be accommodated on a new aircraft and we apologize for the inconvenience and delay in their travel plans.”

Delta was great. The flight attendants were great,” said Gillian Sheldon, who was on the plane. She told FOX 11 that it all happened so fast that no one had time to react.

“When you see these things on TV you always tell yourself I would have done this or that, but honestly it happened so fast there was no way to react,” she said. “I’m just glad it didn’t happen while we were in the air or it would have been a very different result.”

After the incident, passengers from the Delta Air Lines aircraft were escorted and transferred to another aircraft. The flight was en route from LAX to Seattle, Washington and according to FlightAware.com, the flight was delayed 3 hours due to the incident.