A passenger on a Delta flight flying from Los Angeles to Seattle opened the plane’s door seconds before takeoff and was detained by police.
The incident took place at Los Angeles International Airport last Saturday around 10:40 am local time, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
According to eyewitnesses, the passenger plane was picking up speed on the runway when a bearded man approached him, opened the door, and pulled down the lever. The flight attendants tried to stop him, but the man even managed to turn the passage. When the plane returned to the gate, the police detained the passenger.
“Passengers have been transferred to another aircraft, we apologize for the inconvenience and flight delay,” the FAA said in a statement. Due to the incident, the flight to Seattle was delayed for three hours.