A passenger used an airplane’s emergency exit to jump onto its wing and then onto the ground, causing other passengers to panic.
The scare took place Sunday at the Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner, Louisiana, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The Southwest Airlines plane had not yet left the gate at the time of the incident.
The passenger, a 38-year-old man, was caught on the tarmac by ground personnel and held until deputies arrived, per the news release. There were no injuries during the incident.
“When deputies made contact with the man, they found he was incoherent and not fully aware of his surroundings,” the sheriff’s office release reads. Deputies believed the passenger was suffering from a mental health emergency, and he was transported to a local hospital for evaluation, per the release.
A video shared on Twitter shows passengers rushing through the aisle of the plane. One man can be heard saying, “He put something on the plane and jumped out the exit.”
A Passenger has been arrested after escaping through emergency hatch on Southwest Airlines flight WN3172 operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8 at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) earlier today.
🎥 ZED#flight #passenger #aviation pic.twitter.com/Kbcf0XjQV3
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) November 27, 2023
“There is no indication that the man left anything on the plane, nor was he found in possession of any weapons of any type,” the sheriff’s office confirmed.
Passengers gathered at the gate and watched as airport personnel captured the man and held him on the ground, the video shows. (RELATED: Jumpseat Passenger Tried To Crash Plane Mid-Flight, Officials Say).
“I never dreamed I’d be going through nothin’ like this,” the person recording the video can be heard saying.
“We commend our flight and ground crews for their swift action and apologize to our customers for their inconvenience,” Southwest Airlines said in a statement, per NBC News.
The flight was canceled after the incident, according to the sheriff’s office. The man is not expected to face criminal charges locally, and the investigation has been transferred to federal authorities.