Man accused of opening plane’s emergency exit, sliding down wing at Chicago airport

A California man was arrested Thursday after allegedly opening the emergency exit of a plane that had just landed at a Chicago airport and sliding down the wing, CBS Chicago reported. Randy Frank Davila, 57, has been charged with reckless conduct, according to Chicago police. 

The Chicago Police Department said Davila exited the airplane at approximately 4:37 a.m. on Thursday before walking onto the wing of the aircraft and jumping onto the airfield. Police said he was taken into custody “without incident” and charged with the misdemeanor. He will appear in court on June 27. 

The charges come as unruly passengers continue to disrupt flights, with some even trying to open doors mid-flight. In February, an American Airlines flight attendant had to hit a man with a coffee pot after he tried to open the passenger door mid-flight. 

In April, the FAA announced its largest-ever fines: $81,950 for a passenger who allegedly hit a flight attendant, tried to open a cabin door, and headbutted and tried to kick crew members and passengers; and $77,272 for a woman who allegedly tried to “exit during flight” and repeatedly bit another passenger. 

The FAA received more than 5,500 reports of unruly behavior last year, and the spike in passenger outbursts has prompted some airlines to develop internal ban lists.