Passenger 'tries to breach cockpit before yanking open the emergency door and JUMPING from moving plane as it taxied down runway at Los Angeles Airport' - before being detained and hospitalized
A passenger was detained and taken to the hospital Friday night after jumping out of a moving plane as it was taxying at Los Angeles International Airport.
The incident occurred just two days after the airport reported its 'worst security breach in a decade' when a driver smashed through security gates and drove onto the busy runway.
The United Express flight 5365, from LAX to Salt Lake City, had just pulled away from the gate shortly after 7pm on Friday when a man unsuccessfully tried to breach the cockpit by pounding on the door.
The passenger then managed to open the service door, triggering the emergency inflatable slide, according to officials with the airport and SkyWest, who operated the flight.
He then jumped down the slide, landing on the runway tarmac.
The man, who has yet to be identified, was taken into custody on the taxiway, treated for non life-threatening injuries on scene and taken to the hospital, authorities said.
CNN reports that the Federal Aviation Administration is saying the man had been in an altercation with another passenger on board prior to making the jump.
A passenger was detained and taken to the hospital Friday night after jumping out of a moving plane at Los Angeles International Airport, with the FBI now assisting the investigation
CNN reports that the man had been in an altercation with another passenger on board prior to the unsettling incident
The plane, which was headed to Salt Lake City, was forced to return to its gate due to the incident, the airport said.
It was still there hours later at 10pm before finally taking off late Friday night.
Nobody else aboard the plane was injured, according to authorities.
The FBI is still investigating the incident to determine the passenger's motive, spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said according to ABC News.
It was the second disruption at LAX in two days, with FAA sources telling CBS News that it 'may be the worst security breach at a U.S. airport in a decade.'
On Thursday, a driver plowed through a chain-link fence at a FedEx cargo facility and went onto the airfield, crossing runways as police chased the car.
Authorities claim they were tailing the man, who drove a gray Mazda hatchback with the letters 'SOS' written on the hood, as he pulled off of a highway on the airport's south side before barreling into the gate at the FedEx warehouse on FAX air grounds, according to CBS News.
Police said the driver was detained and no injuries were reported, however two runways were briefly closed.
The FAA said it had received reports of 394 cases of passengers allegedly 'interfering with the duties of a crew member' as of May 25, in 2021 - the highest number since records began in 1995.
The FBI is still investigating the incident to determine the passenger's motive, spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said
The plane was force to return to its gate, where it waited for hours before finally taking off for Salt Lake City late Friday night
Last month, massive computer outages caused long delays for all nationwide airports, including LAX, leading to long and frustrating delays on the afternoon of May 20, with flights unable to board until early the next morning.
'We confirm there has been an outage of the Sabre system, impacting several customers. However, the issue is now fully resolved, and we will take all necessary measures to prevent a recurrence,' Sabre said in a May 21 statement according to the local Los Angeles CBS affiliate.
The news outlet reports that when Sabre's system goes down, airlines are unable to check people in, print boarding passes or print bag tags, essentially bringing their systems to a standstill.
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