After opening the aircraft's emergency exit on Sunday night, a Southwest Airlines passenger was taken to the hospital.
Before takeoff, while the aircraft was still parked at its gate, the 38-year-old man reportedly jumped to the ground from the wing, according to a press release that the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office shared. The incident happened at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport at approximately 7:41 p.m. CT.
According to the release, the man was taken to a nearby hospital by deputies who noticed he was "incoherent and not fully aware of his surroundings."
The passenger was not detained or faced with criminal charges because it seemed that his actions were the consequence of a "mental health emergency."
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The man remained in the hospital as of Monday afternoon, and federal authorities are being tasked with conducting the investigation.
"We commend our flight and ground crews for their swift action and apologize to our customers for their inconvenience," a Southwest Airlines representative said.
The flight finally took off for Atlanta, and they continued, before arriving in Baltimore, which was its ultimate destination.
Passengers on Southwest Airlines saw another frightening event in March when a plane heading out of Havana, Cuba's José Martí International Airport was forced to make an emergency landing.
When a bird struck the engine of the aircraft, causing a fire, it was en route to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Videos taken by passengers on board showed oxygen masks hanging above them as thick smoke filled the cabin.
A representative for the airline said at the time, "The pilots safely returned to Havana where the 147 customers and six crew evacuated the aircraft via slides due to smoke in the cabin."
"The customers and crew were bussed to the terminal and are being accommodated on alternative flights to Fort Lauderdale," they stated.
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