JetBlue passenger arguing with girlfriend rips open emergency door and tries to jump out
The man managed to deploy the plane’s emergency slide before being subdued by passengers on flight at Boston Logan International
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Jet Blue passengers subdued a man after he opened an emergency door and tried to jump out of the aircraft during an apparent argument with his girlfriend.
The incident on JetBlue Flight 161, leaving Boston Logan International Airport for San Juan, Puerto Rico on Tuesday, resulted in the plane’s slide being deployed while the aircraft was on the taxiway at around 7.30pm.
Passengers, reportedly including an onboard FBI agent, managed to overpower the man on the Airbus A320 until officers with the Massachusetts State Police responded and detained him for further questioning.
A representative for JetBlue said the man opened the emergency overwing exit for unknown reasons. The flight was swapped for another aircraft and eventually left for San Juan, the airline spokesperson said. No injuries were reported.
The passenger has not been publicly identified but he was arrested and is scheduled to be arraigned in court on Wednesday in Massachusetts. It wasn’t immediately clear what the charges against him were.
The Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating the incident.
A passenger who spoke to WBZ-TV from the plane told the outlet the man had been embroiled in an argument with his girlfriend as the situation unfolded. He said the couple were sitting behind him on the plane.
“Boyfriend and girlfriend were arguing behind me,” passenger Fred 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 were reportedly delayed because of the incident.
State police said preliminary information indicates there was no active threat to the public, according to the outlet. The Independent has reached out to state police for comment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments