Police: Airline passenger arrested after climbing onto plane wing

The flight had been relatively quick as far as international travel goes. But when American Airlines Flight 920 arrived at Gate D22, a passenger from Orlando flung open the plane’s emergency exit door, climbed onto the plane’s wing and jumped at Miami International Airport on Wednesday evening.

After walking out onto the wing, 33-year-old Christian Segura jumped down to a restricted area, Miami-Dade Police said. Segura, an American citizen, was initially detained by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

He was arrested and accused of violating a designated operational area at the airport by the Miami-Dade Police Department Airport District. He faces additional charges of battery of a police officer, escape and resisting an officer with violence, the department said Thursday evening.

The arrest report says a flight attendant was just about to make a security check when she heard a thump and turned to see Segura. Segura approached her and said he felt he was in danger. The report says she told him to remain calm and stay where he was.

While she was contacting her supervisor, Segura flung open the doors and climbed onto the wing.

When a security officer confronted Segura after jumping from the wing, he again said he needed help and was in danger, according to the arrest report. He was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital because he felt sick.

At the hospital, police said he tried to escape and resisted the officers. As of midday Friday, Segura remained at the hospital in police custody.

“We thank our team members and law enforcement for their professionalism and quick action.” Laura Masvidal, a spokeswoman for the airline. Masvidal would not say if Miami was Segura’s final destination and if he was seated in the exit row on the flight from Colombia.

Greg Chin, a spokesman for the airport for the last 16 years said he cannot say without certainty that something like this has not happened before at Miami International Airport. He says he has heard about it happening before in at least one or maybe more airports in the United States.