American Airlines customer in Honduras ‘charged a plane’s jetway, opened the cockpit and broke flight controls during boarding on Miami-bound flight before trying to jump out the open cockpit window’
- A man stormed onto an American Airlines plane in Honduras and charged the cockpit on Tuesday
- The plane was boarding for its flight to Miami when the man allegedly forced his way past the pilots
- The man then damaged the controls, according to a report, before trying to fling himself out of a cockpit window
- Footage posted online appeared to show the man trying to squeeze himself out of the window before being dragged back
- The 2:35pm local time flight was cancelled and passengers were awaiting a replacement flight, due to take of at 9:30pm local time
A man in Honduras has stormed into the cockpit of a Miami-bound American Airlines plane during boarding, allegedly barging past the pilots and damaging the controls before attempting to fling himself out the window.
The incident on Tuesday afternoon was apparently captured on video, with an unidentified man seen wriggling to try and get out of the cockpit window while an astonished ground crew ran to the scene.
‘They’re dragging him back inside,’ the person filming notes, as the man is hauled away from the window.
Photos on social media appeared to show the damaged controls in the cockpit, as well.
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The man can be seen trying to fling himself out of the cockpit window of the plane at the airport in San Pedro Sula, Honduras
A photograph posted to Twitter appeared to show the damaged cockpit controls
Honduras’s La Prensa newspaper said it was unclear whether the man was a ticketed passenger for the flight.
American Airlines confirmed the incident, and said that flight 488 from San Pedro Sula – the second-largest city in Honduras after the capital Tegucigalpa, infamous as one of the world’s most dangerous cities – was delayed.
The identity of the passenger was not revealed.
‘During boarding of American Airlines flight 488 with service from San Pedro Sula, Honduras (SAP) to Miami (MIA), a customer entered the open flight deck and caused damage to the aircraft,’ the airline said in a statement.
‘Crew members intervened and the individual was ultimately apprehended by local law enforcement.
‘A replacement aircraft is on its way to Honduras and the flight is scheduled to re-depart at 9:30pm local time.
‘We applaud our outstanding crew members for their professionalism in handling a difficult situation.’
The plane had been scheduled to depart at 2:35 p.m. local time. Passengers were waiting to take off on a replacement flight set for 9:30 p.m. local time.
Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport is pictured in San Pedro Sula, the second city of Honduras