Video Shows Panic After Southwest Passenger Jumps Out Emergency Door

A video posted on social media shows panic break out on a Southwest Airlines flight on Sunday after a passenger escaped from the plane's emergency door.

The passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight was arrested in New Orleans after escaping the plane through the emergency hatch and running away on the tarmac at Louis Armstrong Airport.

"A Passenger has been arrested after escaping through emergency hatch on Southwest Airlines flight WN3172 operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8 at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport earlier today," @fl360aero wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"Man opened the over-wing emergency exit door aboard the Southwest Airlines flight, jumped down off the plane and ran across the tarmac in an attempt to drive away in a service truck before being apprehended. Some sources say, he threw something on the aircraft," another post on X said.

The video posted by @fl360aero contains some profanity.

As the video begins, passengers can be seen in a panic as they are ordered to exit the plane. Many people can be heard discussing the incident with some confusion as to what exactly happened. While a lot of the passengers are seen walking off of the plane, others are heard being told to "just walk" and travel toward "the gate area."

Other voices can be heard saying that an individual jumped off of the plane, while another said the person "put something down," before jumping.

"I've never been so scared," a passenger is heard saying in the video.

Towards the end of the video, the individual is seen being placed on the ground by airport employees on the tarmac. Other passengers are heard in the video saying, "they got him," and "thank God."

On Monday, a spokesperson for Louis Armstrong Airport in New Orleans confirmed to Newsweek that an individual had jumped off the plane through its emergency door and said, "There was an incident yesterday evening involving a Southwest Airlines passenger's unauthorized deplaning of the aircraft. Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office responded to the incident."

"When deputies made contact with the man, they found he was incoherent and not fully aware of his surroundings," Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office told Newsweek.

"There is no indication that the man left anything on the plane, nor was he found in possession of any weapons of any type. He is not expected to face any criminal charges locally, however the investigation has been referred to federal authorities.

"No one was injured during the incident. We will not be releasing the man's identity as he has not been arrested. He is 38 years old and believed to reside in Atlanta, Georgia."

A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines also confirmed to Newsweek that the incident occurred on their airline and said, "We commend our flight and ground crews for their swift action and apologize to our customers for their inconvenience."

Last week, a passenger onboard a Frontier Airlines flight was seen on video jumping over seats, while another person on the plane claimed the woman was "possessed."