- A passenger opened an emergency exit and jumped out of a stationary plane in New Orleans, local authorities confirmed.
- Video posted of the incident online shows confusion and panic among passengers on the plane.
A Southwest Airlines flight descended into panic after a passenger jumped out of an emergency exit while it was preparing to depart from New Orleans on Sunday night.
Videos shared online appear to show passengers rushing to deplane across the jet bridge amid the confusion, before airport workers drag a man from the cab of a truck on the tarmac.
Witnesses said that the man had opened an overwing emergency exit, before jumping down from the narrowbody jet and running across the tarmac, according to local outlet WWL-TV.
The man — who has not been named — attempted to drive away in the service truck, WWL-TV added.
In an email to Business Insider, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office confirmed that an incident occurred in which "a passenger opened an emergency exit and got onto the wing while the plane was still at the skyway and had not pushed back."
The plane was not moving at the time, the statement added.
"He was caught on the tarmac, and transported to a local hospital for evaluation."
A Passenger has been arrested after escaping through emergency hatch on Southwest Airlines flight WN3172 operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8 at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) earlier today.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) November 27, 2023
ZED#flight #passenger #aviation pic.twitter.com/Kbcf0XjQV3
Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said that the man was not arrested, and is not currently facing criminal charges, but that the incident had been referred to federal authorities.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 airliner departed Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport for Atlanta just over three hours later than scheduled.
Southwest did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, sent outside regular US working hours.
Sunday's incident is not the first time a passenger has jumped from a plane's emergency exit this year.
In July, a 44-year-old man climbed out of a Sun Country Airlines plane at Minneapolis-St Paul Airport to try to avoid being arrested by police waiting for him at the gate. He hid in a truck for 45 minutes before being found.