A passenger was arrested Saturday after triggering a Delta plane’s emergency slide and exiting down the chute, according to CNN. The flight was set to travel from Los Angeles to Seattle.
“The aircraft was holding to taxi for takeoff when the passenger exited the aircraft and was initially detained by Delta staff ahead of being arrested by local law enforcement,” Delta said in a statement, per CBS.
“Customers are being re-accommodated on a new aircraft and we apologize for the inconvenience and delay in their travel plans,” the carrier added.
The person arrested has not been identified.
The FAA is also investigating the slide incident, per CBS. Airport police in Los Angeles further said the incident happened around 10 a.m.
“Due to the circumstances, FBI has been notified,” Los Angeles Airport Police Captain Karla Rodriguez said, per the outlet.
The incident is part of an ongoing trend of recent air travel-related bad behavior including violence against flight attendants.
The pandemic appears to have intensified matters. In 2021, the FAA investigated 1,081 airplane incidents, which was a 494% increase compared to the average number of incidents investigated in years previously.
There’s also been a rash of “close calls,” where airplanes have come in close range of each other.
The National Transportation Safety Board Chair (NTSB) Jennifer Homendy called a rise in safety incidents “concerning.”
Gabrielle Bienasz
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