Man opens emergency exit of plane at O’Hare Airport, slides down wing
The control tower is seen at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. (Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
CHICAGO - A man who arrived at O'Hare International Airport early Thursday morning apparently couldn't wait to get off of the plane.
The man opened an emergency exit and climbed onto the wing while the plane was taxiing on the runway at about 4:30 a.m. It happened on United flight 2478, an overnight flight from San Diego.
Authorities say Randy Frank Davila then walked across the wing before sliding down onto the runway.
In a statement to FOX 5 News, American said its ground crew stopped the man outside the aircraft, and the person is in custody by law enforcement.
The airline said that the plane continued on to the gate and all passengers deplaned safely.
"The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority," American said.
57-year-old Randy Frank Davila faces one misdemeanor count of reckless conduct.
A passenger on the plane tweeted: "guy jumps out of my plane before we get to the gate."
This isn't the first time someone had opened up a plane and jumped out.
In the most infamous case, JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater went on a profanity-laced tirade when he quit his job before exiting a plane via the emergency slide.
Slater’s famous 2010 meltdown came after a heated argument with a passenger aboard a flight from Pittsburgh to New York City. The passenger had wanted to get her luggage from the overhead compartment as the jet was taxiing and Slater pleaded with her to sit down.
The passenger refused, which is when Slater lost his cool getting on the plane’s intercom and cursing out everyone onboard before signing off with, "I’ve been in this business 20 years. And that’s it, I’m done."
Slater then activated the emergency inflatable slide and exited the plane.