A man has been arrested after he climbed onto the wing of a plane moments before takeoff in Las Vegas and then dramatically fell off.
Video footage has captured the wild scene on the wing of a Portland-bound Alaska Airlines plane on the tarmac at McCarran Airport on Saturday, local time.
Police told the outlet that the man appeared to have jumped a fence before running onto the runway.
@AlaskaAir crew has been exceptional as The Original Wingman graces us with his presence. #StayHot2020 pic.twitter.com/79PHcHhJ0q
— Brooke Knight (@SkipperBK13) December 12, 2020
Video taken by passenger Brooke Knight shows the man kicking off his shoes and attempting to climb the plane’s winglet as cops approach from behind.
The man then slides off the tip of the wing and falls to the ground, with cops quickly making the arrest.
“This fella is fine, which is great. A bloody nose … all personnel on the plane and on the tarmac were simply amazing. So nice to see,” Ms Knight said.
Ms Knight added that “the original wingman” was smiling and conscious after the incident.
Alaska Airlines confirmed flight 1367 was preparing for takeoff when the pilot spotted the man making a beeline for the aircraft.
“The pilots notified the tower. Law enforcement was dispatched and able to apprehend the individual,” the airline said in a statement.
“Our guests and employees are safe and we are working with law enforcement.”
The plane returned to the gate for a full inspection after the incident, the airline said.
