A passenger onboard a Frontier Airlines flight from Denver (DEN) to Washington Reagan International Airport (DCA) attempted to open an emergency exit in-flight, before managing to deploy the emergency slide once the aircraft had landed, sliding down the chute onto the tarmac. The incident happened on Frontier Airlines flight F9-536 on Saturday morning, leading to the cancellation of the return flight back to Denver.
A spokesperson for Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) confirmed the incident, saying the passenger was quickly detained by airport police. Details of the passenger were not immediately released.
“Just before noon on Saturday, March 21 at Reagan National Airport’s gate 7, a passenger on Frontier flight 536 opened an aircraft door, deploying the emergency slide,” the statement from the airport explained.
“The passenger deplaned the aircraft via the slide and was immediately stopped on the airfield and taken into custody by Airports Authority police. The remaining passengers on the aircraft were deplaned via stairs at a rear door.”
Jennifer De La Cruz, a spokeswoman for Frontier Airlines told the Washington Post that the adult male passenger had become disruptive during the flight, shouting verbal abuse and being unruly.
Frontier has been contacted for an updated statement.
