A passenger on a flight reportedly attacked an attendant, opened an emergency exit and leapt from the aircraft as they were preparing to take off.
Reports from the incident say that on Friday February 7, the man rose from his seat as the aircraft was taxiing, and headed for the front of the cabin, where he started to pry the door open. A flight attendant attempted to intervene but the man assaulted them before jumping 11ft from the open aircraft.
He landed on the runway below the plane, while the engines were still running. The incident happened at Paris Orly Airport in France, at around 5.20pm on an Iberia flight bound for Madrid in Spain.
Emergency services quickly arrived to apprehend the passenger. Photos taken from inside the plane show an emergency vehicle on the tarmac.
Despite the severity of the situation, the flight still managed to depart for Madrid later that evening. The aircraft landed in Madrid just before midnight, following a delay of four and a half hours, reports the Mirror.
The aircraft, which is only three years old, was briefly grounded before returning to service on Saturday afternoon. The reasons behind the passenger’s decision to jump from the plane remain a mystery, as does his current medical status.
It is also not yet known whether Iberia will pursue legal action against the individual for the alleged assault on a flight attendant and the resulting delay of the flight. Authorities are still investigating the incident.
This marks the second instance in three months where a passenger has opened an emergency exit on an Iberia flight prior to take-off, according to NeedToKnow. In a previous event in December, a nervous passenger activated an emergency slide on an Iberia Express flight from Ibiza to Madrid just before departure.
However, the cabin crew managed to prevent the passenger from jumping off the slide. An Iberia spokesperson commented to The Mirror: “At this time we can only confirm the information, but cannot elaborate further. It is under investigation.”
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletter here.