United passenger ‘tries to enter cockpit’ before opening plane’s door and jumping down emergency slide as plane taxis for takeoff at LAX
- The incident happened just after 7pm on Friday night at LAX in Los Angeles
- United Express Flight 5365, which was being operated by SkyWest, was set to take off for Salt Lake City
- The FBI, who responded to the scene, say the passenger got up from his seat and headed towards the cockpit while the plane was taxiing to the runway
- They said the passenger was pounding on the cockpit door before leaving through an emergency exit
- A spokesperson from the FAA says an altercation on board preceded the incident, though no details were released
- Police say the plane was forced to return to the gate after the incident
- Nobody else was injured during the incident
- The man, who has not been identified, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries before being taken to a hospital. It’s not clear if he was arrested
A United Express passenger allegedly tried to enter the plane’s cockpit as it taxied for takeoff at Los Angeles Airport, before pulling open a service door and jumping down the emergency slide onto the tarmac.
United Express flight 5365, operated by SkyWest, was pulling away from the gate shortly after 7pm Friday night when the man unsuccessfully tried to breach the cockpit, according to the airport and SkyWest.
The FBI, who responded to the scene, says the passenger got up from his seat and headed towards the cockpit while the plane was taxiing to the runway, a time when passengers are seated.
They said the passenger was pounding on the cockpit door before opening a front door exit and fleeing after the emergency slide automatically inflated.
The plane’s emergency slide automatically inflated when the man opened the door, and was visible on the side of the plane when it returned to the gate at LAX
The man was taken into custody on the taxiway, treated for injuries that were not life-threatening and taken to the hospital, authorities said. It’s unclear if he has been arrested.
The twin-engine Embraer 175, which was headed to Salt Lake City, returned to its gate, the airport said.
It’s unclear what the man’s motive was for pounding on the cockpit door.
A spokesperson from the FAA says an altercation on board preceded the incident, though no details were released.
KABC obtained audio of the pilot calling air traffic control to explain the incident.
‘Charlie 4 Charlie, would you please call law enforcement because we are gonna head back to the gate,’ the pilot declared.
‘SkyWest 5365, they are calling law enforcement right now. They are trying to find out which gate you are going to be going to,’ the tower responded.
The pilot said, ‘OK. Looks like they may have blown one of our slides on the right side as well.’
They later added, ‘We might have had a passenger that was a threat level jump out of the aircraft.’
Police say the plane was forced to return to the gate after the incident. Nobody else was injured during the incident.
Fox News reports that Vice President Kamala Harris was at LAX earlier in the day, where she landed following her trip to the U.S.-Mexican border in El Paso.
FlightAware data showed the flight’s departure being pushed back several times. It ultimately didn’t depart until 10:36pm, over three and a half hours late
Friday’s scary incident came just a day after a driver broke through a fence at the LAX airport and led police on a chase on the taxiway
The incident forced a response from the Los Angeles Fire Department as well.
FlightAware data shows that the flight, which was scheduled for 6:55pm, didn’t depart until 10:36pm, over three and a half hours late.
It arrived in Salt Lake City without further incident at 1:25am local time.
Friday’s incident came just a day after a driver broke through a fence at the LAX airport and led police on a chase on the taxiway.
A man was later taken into custody in that incident. He has also not been identified.
Prince Harry was at the airport during the time of that incident, waiting for a flight to the UK.
Airlines are seeing a surge in anti-social behavior as air travel returns to pre-pandemic levels.
There have been 1,300 reports of unruly passengers in the four months between February and May, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.