Passengers left 'terrified' after man ‘ripped off’ plane’s emergency door and walked along wing
A man is potentially facing charges after removing a plane's emergency door and walking across the wing of the aircraft.
The Jetstar Airbus A320-200 aircraft had safely landed in Melbourne's International Airport from Sydney, Australia, when the passenger in question starting acting 'erratically'.
Eyewitnesses say that the man 'charged' towards the emergency door and proceeded to open it. He's then said to have climbed along the wing of the plane and slid down the engine.
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He was arrested once he'd exited the aircraft.
Audrey Varghese was on the JQ507 flight travelling from Melbourne to Sydney when the incident occurred.
The passenger in question had been sat diagonally across from her when he stood up once the plane landed.
He was quickly told to sit down by airline staff however, and he did - but it wasn't long before he was up on his feet again.
According to Varghese, the guy 'charged towards the front of the plane to the emergency exit row in the middle, pushed past some people, and then he ripped off the emergency exit door'.
"I was really shocked at first," she proceeded to recall to ABC News Australia. "My friend and I were talking at the time and then as soon as we heard someone shrieking we sort of froze. We were quite terrified."
Varghese went on to praise the airline crew for keeping the other passengers calm amid the man's 'strange, erratic behaviour'.
A Melbourne Airport spokesperson has now confirmed that the man in question was detained immediately.
They told UNILAD over email: "A passenger on a Jetstar flight exited the aircraft via the emergency exit upon arrival into Melbourne Airport.
"The plane was parked at the time of the incident. The passenger was immediately detained by staff and arrested by the Australian Federal Police.
"Melbourne Airport is proud of the exceptional response from ground crew, which meant there was no immediate danger to other passengers or airport staff."
Elsewhere, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has confirmed that the man was arrested 'for aggressive behaviour and breaching aircraft safety protocols'.
The AFP spokesperson added: "The man was assessed by ambulance officers and later transferred to hospital for further assessment."
The governing body added that it's likely that charges will be pressed against the passenger.
UNILAD have approached Jetstar and the AFP for additional comment.
Passengers on a Asiana Airlines flight from Jeju to Daegu in South Korea last year experienced a similar and even scarier ordeal last year after a man opened the plane's emergency door mid-flight.
The person sat next to the culprit who opened the door said he feared for his life during the ordeal. The passenger went on to be arrested by police.
Topics: Australia, Travel, News, World News
Niamh Shackleton