22-8-2024 (MELBOURNE) A passenger was apprehended at Melbourne Airport after executing a brazen escape from a stationary aircraft via an emergency exit, traversing the wing, and descending to the tarmac by way of a jet engine.
The unprecedented event unfolded on Thursday aboard Jetstar Flight JQ507, which had just completed its journey from Sydney to Melbourne. As the Airbus A320 stood at the terminal gate, the man, whose identity remains undisclosed, chose an unconventional route of disembarkation that has since captured national attention.
Just In ! For reason unknown at this time, a passenger has forced open one of the cabin emergency door (right side) of a Jetstar Airbus A320-200 aircraft (VH-VFL) at Melbourne International Airport, after the flight JQ507 from Sydney.
The passenger jumped out of the cabin on the… pic.twitter.com/LpLArJ0SKj
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) August 22, 2024
According to a statement from Jetstar, the passenger activated the right-side emergency exit, which automatically deployed an evacuation slide. However, in a shocking turn of events, the man eschewed the slide, opting instead for a perilous walk along the wing before making his way down one of the aircraft’s engines to reach the ground.
Eyewitness accounts paint a picture of chaos and disbelief inside the cabin. Fellow passenger Audrey Varghese recounted the scene to Melbourne Radio 3AW: “The man was exhibiting some quite strange behaviour. As soon as the plane started coming to a stop, he immediately got up and charged to where the emergency exit row is.” Varghese added that passengers erupted in screams and shrieks as the man’s erratic behaviour culminated in the opening of the emergency hatch.
We landed in Melbourne, that was wild.
Some dude popped the emergency slide and then jumped off the wing to get tackled on the tarmac. pic.twitter.com/gELmJXsTK8
— gewwy @ Animaga 295 (@gewwyArt) August 22, 2024
Australian Federal Police, alerted by Jetstar staff, swiftly moved to arrest the individual on grounds of “alleged aggressive behaviour and breaching aircraft safety protocols.” Following his apprehension, the man underwent assessment by paramedics before being transferred to a local hospital for further evaluation.
