A man in Charlotte, N.C. tried biting a flight attendant’s hand in order to open the plane’s door and jump out, WBTV reported Friday.
American Airlines (AA) flight 5242 was at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on the tarmac Thursday, when Tun Lon Sein refused to take his seat. Things escalated quickly from there.
The plane had already detached from the gate and was ready to take off.
Sein got into an altercation with the flight attendant and “spoke little or no English during these events,” according to a federal criminal complaint.
Sein was eventually able to get the door open and jumped out of the plane. He was stopped by airport employees before he was able to reach the taxiway, and was arrested.
The report also states Sein had traveled on a plane before the incident, and had understood the safety protocols.
Following the episode, passengers were forced off the plane and had to be re-screened before they could return to their seats.
Sein was taken to a local hospital for evaluation before he was ultimately charged with assault. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted of interfering with the flight crew.
He is due in court June 1.
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