A male passenger on a taxiing SkyWest Airlines flight was able to unlock an emergency door and activate the inflatable slide before sliding onto the runway at Los Angeles International Airport and hurting himself.
A United Express flight operated by SkyWest Airlines was taxiing away from the gate area at around 7:10 p.m. Male passenger onboard opened the aircraft door and exited onto the tarmac, according to the local CBS Los Angeles affiliate.
According to a FBI spokesman, the passenger remained sitting until the plane began to taxi toward the runway, when he began pounding on the cockpit door.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman, the guy attempted to breach the cockpit before opening “the escape door and [fleeing] the aircraft using the emergency slide.”
It’s unclear how the man was able to unlock the hatch and activate the inflatable slide while the jet was in flight.