A moment of madness has left an elderly Delta Air Lines passenger facing the threat of being sent to federal prison for up to 20 years after he grew so frustrated with a lengthy ground weather at Atlanta Hartsfield that he opened the main emergency exit door.
The wild incident was caught on camera by a First Class passenger who secretly recorded the unfolding drama between two seats and shared it on social media, where it has gone viral.
Now, federal prosecutors have charged Thomas Ryan with interference with crew members, which can not only be punished with a lengthy prison sentence but also a fine of up to $250,000.
Ryan was one of many passengers stuck on board Delta flight DL-2879 from Atlanta Hartsfield (ATL) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) on Monday evening when wild weather swept through the city and caused lengthy ground delays for many flights waiting for takeoff.
The flight, which was scheduled to depart Atlanta at 5:24 pm, had already been delayed for two hours at the gate due to severe thunderstorms, but passengers were eventually allowed to board and the plane started to taxi towards the runway for takeoff.
Before the plane could take off, however, the pilots were informed that air traffic control issues in Chicago would result in a further delay, with the flight told to hold on the taxiway in Atlanta for a further hour before it would be permitted to depart.
The Captain then delivered the bad news to the passengers via a public address announcement and parked the plane in a remote holding point away from the terminal while they waited for clearance to depart.
As soon as the Captain made the announcement, Ryan allegedly “jumped up” from his seat towards the back of the Boeing 737 and “yelled that he wanted to get off the plane.”
Ryan initially complied with requests from the flight attendants to return to his seat as they started a beverage service on the ground, but a short time later, he again got up from his seat. This time, witnesses told FBI investigators that he was more aggressive, but he eventually sat back down after multiple requests.
Ryan didn’t, however, remain seated for long. He stood up for a third time and on this occasion, headed towards the front of the plane, demanding to be let off, and threatening to open the emergency exit if his demand wasn’t met.
A flight attendant called the cockpit and informed the pilots of a Level 1 disruptive passenger incident unfolding in the cabin. The pilot asked to speak with Ryan on the interphone, but the conversation didn’t end well.
Ryan stormed back towards his seat and started to gather his belongings. After some to-ing and fro-ing, Ryan “came rushing back towards the front of the plane” and grabbed the door opening lever, managing to open the door slightly.
Although the emergency slide was armed, it did not deploy as the door was not fully opened.
A witness said “pandemonium” erupted onboard the plane, as a flight attendant went to close and secure the door that Ryan had just opened.
At this point, the Captain made another announcement over the public address system, telling the passengers that the plane was returning to the gate. During this time, the Atlanta Police Department had already been informed, and officers were waiting for the plane as it pulled up at the gate.
Ryan was immediately taken into custody and invoked his right to silence.
The flight eventually departed Atlanta Hartsfield at around 12:44 am on April 28, but the scheduled return flight back from Chicago had to be cancelled.
