Delta Passenger Arrested After Opening Plane Door And Triggering Exit Slide

A Delta Air Lines passenger was arrested for opening an airplane exit door while it was preparing to take off from Los Angeles International Airport, authorities said.

The passenger allegedly opened the door, activating the emergency slide, on Delta Flight 1714 bound for Seattle on Saturday morning. The plane was stopped at the time, waiting to taxi into position for takeoff, according to CNN.

Delta said in a statement that the flight “returned to the gate due to an unruly passenger.”

“The aircraft was holding to taxi for takeoff when the passenger exited the aircraft and was initially detained by Delta staff ahead of being arrested by local law enforcement,” the airline said, according to a statement provided to CBS News.

Other passengers were reportedly accommodated on a different aircraft after the incident.

Airport police notified the FBI about the matter, Los Angeles Airport Police Capt. Karla Rodriguez said. It’s not clear whether the passenger, who has not been publicly identified, faces charges.

Another passenger on the flight, Gillian Sheldon, told NBC Los Angeles the man was clearly “agitated, or nervous or anxious or freaked out about something.”