Passenger opens emergency exit, deploys slide as plane taxis, California cops say

A passenger opened an emergency exit and deployed an emergency slide on a Delta airliner taxiing at Los Angeles International Airport, California police told news outlets.

The Seattle-bound plane had just left the gate when the incident took place at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 25, airport police told KNBC.

The Delta airliner returned to the gate and passengers deplaned to be put on another flight, KTLA reported.

Airport police arrested the passenger accused of opening the emergency exit, KABC reported. He was taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation.

The FBI has been notified, police told KCBS.

In a statement to McClatchy News, Delta Airlines said the flight returned to the gate after an “unruly passenger” exited the plane and was detained by airline personnel. The airline also apologized to passengers for the “inconvenience and delay.”

More than 66 million passengers passed through Los Angeles International Airport in 2022, according to airport statistics.

This story was originally published March 26, 2023 at 7:03 AM with the headline "Passenger opens emergency exit, deploys slide as plane taxis, California cops say."