A passenger aboard an Alaska Airlines flight had a rather unconventional deboarding process as she opened the emergency exit and climbed over the wing as she had become “anxious”, according to a report in Fox News. As per authorities, the incident took place on Sunday (Dec 22) just after 5 pm local time at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport just as the Alaska Airlines flight 323 was disembarking.

After the plane landed and passengers started filing off the plane and into the airport terminal, the woman allegedly became anxious and climbed out onto the wing of the plane, leading to frantic calls from the cabin crew. The Port of Seattle fire department was called into action to help the passenger get off the aircraft before any tragedy could happen.

After safely rescuing the woman, the fire department sent the passenger to the hospital for evaluation while Port Police was informed about the incident.

Alaska Airlines confirmed that the incident involving a “disruptive guest” was “safely resolved”, whilst thanking the flight attendants.

“We are working with our crew and airport officials to gather more details about what may have transpired,” the airline spokesperson said.

“We thank our employees for their swift response and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our guests.”

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Previous incidents

This is not the first instance when Alaska Airlines has made headlines this year. In January, a Boeing 737-9 MAX airplane belonging to the airline had to make an emergency landing after one of its doors blew open mid-air, minutes after take off. Videos taken by passengers showed that the mid-cabin exit door had completely separated from the aircraft.

In August, a passenger was arrested in Australia after he exited a stationary Jetsra flight through an emergency exit, walked along the wing, and climbed down a jet engine to the tarmac of the Melbourne Airport. He was detained by aircrew and ground staff before police arrested him.

As per the police statement, the man, identified as Audrey Varghese, was arrested for alleged aggressive behavior and breaching aircraft safety protocols.

A passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Las Vegas planned to kill a fellow passenger using a makeshift weapon during a violent mid-flight altercation last month. The man, Julio Alvarez Lopez, was arrested at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on January 24, as per a report in the New York Post.

He was charged with “one count of assault with a dangerous weapon”. The man was “fidgety” throughout the flight. As per the outlet, he kept on putting and removing his gloves and used the bathroom for a long period during the flight’s initial descent. According to Fox News, “he sat down, got up a second time, and went to the restroom, where he was reportedly gone for ‘a while’.”

When Lopez returned to his assigned seat, he “began punching and hitting” the man seated across the aisle. Further, he tried to stab him in the eye.

An FBI agent wrote in court documents, “During the altercation, (the victim’s) wife was screaming at the defendant to stop hitting her husband. (A witness) unbuckled her seatbelt and yelled at the defendant to stop.” The woman, who was protecting their seven-year-old son, was also struck by Lopez.

According to the witnesses, there “was blood everywhere,” and a “pen and tape bundle” had dropped to the floor. The co-passenger is alive but he was severely injured. Lopez had walked to the front of the aircraft after the fight, yelling, “I’ll only talk to the FBI.”

Lopez was told to sit down by an onboard law enforcement official, and the flight attendants “worked to provide flex cuffs and the defendant was restrained for the remainder of the flight.” 

He was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan after the plane landed around 8:30 am. The man said that he planned the assault because he “felt the mafia had been chasing him”, adding that he had never seen the victim “but planned on killing him.” Additionally, he claimed that he armed himself with pens wrapped in rubber bands before boarding the flight.

As per Fox News, he told the investigators that he was seeking asylum in the United States. He also added that he believed the co-passenger was with “the Cartel” and was following him.

The man is due back in court on March 1.