PHOENIX — A man was hospitalized Saturday morning after jumping out of a taxiing plane on the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport tarmac.
According to KNXV-TV, the man, who has not been identified publicly, opened a plane door at around 8 a.m., jumped from the aircraft and ran to nearby Phoenix Fire Station 19, where he was taken into custody.
The extent of the man’s injuries was not immediately known, and it remained unclear what charges he may face, the TV station reported.
Southwest Airlines spokesperson Dan Landson confirmed to The Arizona Republic that as the early-morning flight was taxiing to the gate, an unidentified customer left the aircraft through a rear gallery door, prompting the pilot to briefly halt the plane and contact air traffic control.
The incident did not cause any delays or otherwise delay airport operations, airport spokesperson Julie Rodriguez told the Republic.
Flight 4236 left Colorado Springs at 6:30 a.m. and landed in Phoenix just before 8:30 a.m., according to the airline’s online flight tracker, the newspaper reported.
Sky Harbor and Phoenix Fire officials are investigating the incident alongside the Phoenix Police Department, KNXV-TV reported.