Troy Fattun was arrested on Sunday evening after allegedly deploying the emergency chute on a United Airlines aircraft and sliding down to the tarmac. (Port Authority of New York and New Jersey/iStock)
A would-be United Airlines passenger was placed under arrest at Newark Liberty International Airport after abandoning his yet-to-depart plane via the inflatable emergency slide.
Troy Fattun, 25, had reportedly boarded United Airlines Flight 1640 from Newark, N.J., to Tampa on Sunday evening, but soon headed straight for the rear of the aircraft while the other passengers were finding their seats, according to WCBS. Fattun then opened the emergency exit and deployed the inflatable chute before sliding down to the tarmac, where he was apprehended by police.
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“At about 10 p.m. Port Authority Police responded to a report of a disorderly subject at Newark Airport Terminal C,” said a public information officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). “[The suspect] was arrested by Port Authority police.”
Law enforcement sources for WNBC say a panicked Fattun insisted he didn’t belong on the plane, although the Port Authority has confirmed he had indeed been carrying a ticket for that flight to Tampa.
The Port Authority further stated that charges are currently pending against Fattun, who PANYNJ identified as a U.S. national from Micronesia.
Following the incident, passengers were instructed to deplane while United arranged for another flight to Tampa, which departed several hours later. No one was injured.
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This marks the second time a person has deliberately deployed and exited a United aircraft via the emergency chute. In April 2016, a flight attendant deployed the slide after touching down in Houston; she was later fired.