Guy Late For His Flight Accused Of Running Onto Airport Ramp In Attempt To Stop Departing Plane

(kevindean)

It might sound like a scene from a romantic comedy: A man is on his way to his high school reunion, but he’s late for his flight, he goes all out in his efforts to keep the plane from leaving without him, he reunites with his former love, all ends well, etc. Except in real life, police weren’t pleased with a man accused of running into a secure area of the Denver Airport to try to halt a departing plane he was supposed to be on.

A 58-year-old man has been charged with one felony count of endangering public transportation and one misdemeanor count of hindering transportation, a spokeswoman for the Denver District Attorney’s Office, said in a statement to Reuters.

The incident went down on Aug. 6 but the details were just released today: According to police, the man arrived at his gate in Denver only to find the United Airlines plane headed to Ohio was already pushing back.

Officials say he then “forcibly” opened a locked emergency exit door on the concourse, which set off an alarm, and allegedly ran onto a secured ramp area.

The suspect then ran “out of the door into a sterile area of the airport and chased down on foot, a tug and tug driver who was actively engaged in pushing back… (an) aircraft filled with passengers,” the police’s probable cause affidavit said.

The tug driver stopped, at which point the man allegedly insisted on boarding the plane before he was arrested. It’s unclear if his demand was met, or if he ever made it to the reunion to see what Peggy Sue was up to.

An airport spokesman said the incident didn’t significantly delay the flight or any other flights at the airport.

Man charged with trying to halt departing plane at Denver airport [Reuters]

By Mary Beth Quirk