"Pure terror" after Jetstar passenger climbs out onto wing
A passenger onboard a Jetstar flight from Sydney to Melbourne has recalled the "commotion" when a man opened the emergency door just seconds after the plane landed.
Audrey Varghese was on the flight that landed at Tullamarine airport on Thursday morning, and said the trouble began when the man became very agitated as soon as the plane touched down.
“It’s assumed common knowledge that you stay in your seats until the seatbelt sign is turned off, but he got up as the plane was still moving," the 2GB producer told 7News.
“The cabin crew were sort of shocked at the fact that he would even do that.”
When the plane eventually came to a stop, Varghese said the man charged to the emergency exit rows and forced passengers out of their seats to get to the emergency door.
The man then managed to open the emergency exit door and climbed out onto the wing of the plane, causing terror among the rest of the passengers.
“There was a bit of a commotion. It was hectic, everyone was screaming,” Varghese said.
“It was just pure terror. People were so terrified of what could possibly have gone wrong.”
Video capture of the incident shows the man standing on the wing before sliding down the emergency slide, only to be met with police as he reached the ground.
The AFP said officers arrested a man for “alleged aggressive behaviour and breaching aircraft safety protocols” and charges were likely to be laid.
The remaining passengers safely disembarked the aircraft but had to wait about 45 minutes for their luggage, as the emergency slide had blocked the cargo door.
Varghese added that Jetstar were "really good" about the luggage delays, and said the cabin crew did a “great job” handling the situation.
Image credits: 7News