One impatient man is now in jail after opening the overwing emergency exit, walking onto the wing, then jumping onto the ground as his United Airlines 737-900 aircraft neared the gate at Chicago O’Hare Airport.
Man Opens Emergency Exit On United Airlines 737-900, Jumps Out Onto Wing While Aircraft Is Moving
The incident occurred early this morning onboard United Airlines flight UA2478, a Boeing 737-900 traveling from San Diego (SAN) to Chicago (ORD). The redeye from California arrived 4:30am into Chicago without incident. But as the aircraft taxied to the gate, a man apparently opened the overwing exit in row 21, climbed out of the aircraft and onto the wing, then jumped down.
@fly2ohare guy jumps out of my plane before we get to the gate. @united UA2478 pic.twitter.com/xgxRszkBfH
— MaryEllen Eagelston (@MEEagelston) May 5, 2022
The man was stopped by ground crew and held until law enforcement could arrive. He is now being held, pending charges. The incident delayed the arrival of the aircraft into the gate by 20 minutes:
United Airlines had little to say about the incident:
“This morning United flight 2478 was taxiing toward the gate at Chicago O’Hare when a passenger opened an aircraft door and exited the plane. Our ground crew stopped the individual outside of the aircraft, and the person is now with law enforcement. The plane then arrived at the gate and all passengers deplaned safely. The safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority.”
Needless to say, a flight ban is expected and if the emergency slide raft deployed, I would hope United would come after the passenger for the immense cost of reseting that.
CONCLUSION
I’d be interested to know why the man could not wait an extra five minutes until the aircraft arrived at the gate. Too much alcohol? Did his seatmate stink? Whatever the reason, the man now faces a heap of trouble for his foolish action.
Is it really this easy for anyone to walk up to an exit door and open it?
Yes. Pull handles, open door, toss door to the side.
The 737-900 over wing exit does not have a slide. Based on prior experience in an emergency evacuation, one evacuates over the wing and jumps from the wing directly to the ground.
What happened on your flight?
They slide down the flaps…..hence those arrows pointing aft on the wing…..but hey you’re close. Please tell us more about this evacuation that you “experienced”
He opened the door on a United plane that landed at O’Hare this morning
Seriously what is going on in the US? Doesn’t happen in other countries.
Huh? “Emergency slide raft” on an over wing emergency exit? Matt be an “avid traveler”, surely you’ve read the emergency card in the seat pocket in front of you!
I can only recall the dwarf in the seat.
Another biden voter.
Probably true.. if it was a Trump voter they would made sure to assault a couple flight attendants first and tell everyone they were a Trump voter
Democrats statistically are more violent. They commit the most crimes.
Citation?
There is a citation from Slate of 8000 prisoners. A slight majority of them call themselves Democrats. 36% of White prisoners call themselves Republican. 45% of Black prisoners call themselves Democrats (11% call themselves Republican).
Trump voters don’t know that term. And, white privileged trump voters (Trump said it, even if he shut someone) , don’t go to jail, even if they break into the white house.
So, you’re projecting a sample of prisoners onto the US population as a whole.
You have never studied statistics, have you?
Like all those Trump voters burning cities down all summer 2020?
@Al Cervantes
Sounds like you suffer from white envy.
Dont forget that BLM terrorists burned down entire cities and weren’t even arrested. They were treated as heros.
I am more concerned about the guy in the pic wearing a “1987 NBA Finals” cap.
LALF comments are reliable for grade school level political taunts these days.
another idiotic passenger that wanted his 15-min of fame; which he will pay with a hefty fine. smh.
I wonder if it would help if they put some kind of a sign like it is a “Federal Offence to Open, Tamper with, etc, this without flight attendant’s direction,” or something like that. Like in subway trains it says its a “federal offence to sit on a disabled seat, ,,”
He didn’t want to be late for a Michigan Ave Smash and Grab event.