A passenger opens the door while heading to Amsterdam on a KLM flight, thinking he saw a gun.
KLM flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam had to cancel takeoff on Tuesday evening after a passenger opened the emergency door and deployed the slide while the plane was taxiing on the runway. Authorities say the passenger believed he saw a weapon on board.
The passenger, identified as Johannes van H., 32, called 911 from inside KLM flight 622 claiming another passenger had a weapon. Police reported that the situation escalated when he panicked and opened the emergency door.
The airline canceled the flight after an emergency slide was deployed on one of the runways, causing disruption at Atlanta Airport. Officials described the incident as a serious breach of safety and security.
According to the police, Johannes van H. appeared to be suffering from a mental episode. He was evaluated by medical staff at the Atlanta International Passenger Station before being charged with reckless behavior, damaging aircraft property, and interfering with security procedures.
The passenger was then transferred to Clayton County Jail. Atlanta police indicated that the information is preliminary and may change as the investigation progresses.