Shortly following landing in Chicago, a passenger left the plane – via the emergency exit and the wing of the Boeing 737. The ground staff intervened.
It happened at the very end of the flight. On Thursday evening (May 5), a United Airlines Boeing 737 as flight UA2478 departed from San Diego and landed in Chicago around 4:30 am on time. Then something unexpected happened on the ground.
A passenger opened the emergency exit above the right wing, ran out and climbed off the wing to the ground. United Airlines and the police confirmed the incident to the NBC broadcaster, which also has a recording from air traffic control. “We had to stop just before Gate Bravo 3,” said one of the pilots. “Someone used the rear right exit above the wing.”
Ground staff intervene
“Our ground crew stopped the person outside the plane,” the airline said. “The person is now with law enforcement.” The plane reached the gate safely and all passengers got out unharmed.
A similar incident occurred in Kyiv in 2020. At that time, shortly following landing, a passenger opened the emergency exit above the left wing of a Boeing 737 operated by Ukraine International Airlines. She walked onto the grand piano with her purse on her arm and a water bottle in her hand. After a short time she got back on the plane.
Also from below it goes on the wing
It was the other way around in Las Vegas at the end of 2020. At that time, pilots from Alaska Airlines were busy preparing for takeoff. That’s when they noticed a man running towards their Boeing 737 and climbed onto one of the wings. He sat there first, paced back and forth, and then tried several times to climb the winglet. In an attempt, he fell down onto the apron. The man was arrested there and taken to the hospital.