BOSTON – A passenger on a JetBlue flight opened an emergency exit door and deployed the slide while the plane was taxiing at Logan Airport in Boston Tuesday night, the FAA said.
Witnesses said the man was arguing with his girlfriend before he opened the door at about 7:30 p.m. on Flight 161. The Airbus A320 was headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
There were no injuries reported, according to Massport.
Restrained by passengers
A spokesperson for JetBlue said the passenger opened an overwing exit “for unknown reasons” and remained on board the plane.
Massachusetts State Police said troopers responded to reports of a disturbance on the aircraft after it had entered the active taxiway. One person was detained.
“Shortly before takeoff, a passenger who wanted to deplane opened an aircraft door suddenly and without warning,” state police said in a statement. “Other passengers restrained the individual until troopers arrived on scene to detain them for further questioning.”
The passenger, who has not been identified yet, is expected to face charges and will be arraigned in East Boston District Court Wednesday morning.
Passenger says man was arguing with girlfriend
Passenger Fred Wynn talked to WBZ-TV from the plane. He said the man was sitting right behind him with his girlfriend.
“Boyfriend and girlfriend were arguing behind in me,” Wynn said. “Boyfriend got mad, got up walked down the center aisle, grabbed the emergency door, ripped it off, completely off. FBI agent tackled him, handcuffed him. Shortly after, state police came on board and took him off.”
Passengers on other flights say they were delayed because of the incident.
“They just said there was a disabled plane on the runway, which was a little concerning, never heard that before,” said Tim Wahl, who was arriving in Boston from Phoenix.
Wahl says his flight was circling around Boston delayed. When it finally landed, he saw the commotion.
“We flew over the plane that was stopped. There was a bunch of police outside, apparently somebody deployed the emergency slide. Wild,” Wahl said.
State police said preliminary information indicates it was an isolated incident and there was no threat to public safety. The FAA is investigating.
