by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:35 AM ET, Wed March 4, 2015
The crew of a JetBlue flight from the Dominican Republic to New York found a 26-year-old New Jersey man hiding in the cockpit of the plane after the rest of the passengers had gotten off the aircraft.
According to NBC New York, the unnamed Atlantic City resident was a passenger on the flight, but made his way into the cockpit while travelers were exiting the plane. Authorities do not know how the man gained access to the cockpit.
The crew found the trespassing traveler at around 2 a.m. sitting by the window of the cockpit. During his removal from the plane, he attempted to open an alarm door, but the crew controlled the situation and managed to hand him off to the Port Authority Police Department, according to ABC New York.
When asked about the situation, a JetBlue spokesman told Jessica Plautz of Mashable.com:
"Shortly after 1:30 a.m. ... upon arrival at JFK, a customer failed to deplane from JetBlue flight #810 and entered the cockpit. Upon observation, Crewmembers immediately removed the customer from the aircraft and he was turned over to the Port Authority Police Department."
Plautz is also reporting that the man told the crew removing him from the plane that there was a group of people trying to jump him. The man was transported to Jamaica Hospital in New York for observation, and was subsequently arrested and charged with trespassing, according to NBC.
Extended delays and cancellations have become a major issue for travelers taking to the sky, but finding a man hiding in the cockpit of the plane is not something most airlines deal with on a regular basis.
From all accounts, though, JetBlue handled the situation well and followed the correct protocol by turning him over to the authorities.
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