Jumps Off Plane While On The Tarmac

Aero-News has reported on several incidents recently where passenger has attempted to deplane the aircraft they were on while it was in the air. Of course, that's not possible on a pressurized airliner...  but it's different when the airliner is on the ground.

Such was the case Monday of a man who decided he'd had enough of the Continental Airlines 737 he was on for a flight from Fort Lauderdale to Newark.

Flight 408 had been holding on the ground at FLL for a half-hour -- which was long enough for 28-year-old Troy Rigby. Authorities say Rigby got out of his seat and ran to the front of the plane -- biting another passenger on the way -- before trying to kick in the cockpit door.

Police told the Associated Press the man then somehow managed to open one of the cabin doors -- it is unclear if the airliner was sufficiently pressurized at that point to make it much of a challenge -- and Rigby then jumped from the cabin of the 737-300 to the ground, ten feet below.

He then took off running, with sheriff's deputies in hot pursuit. Rigby was eventually tasered by law officers and finally subdued after deputies say he claimed to have a bomb in his backpack.

Broward County Sheriff Ken Jenne calls the whole thing bizarre, adding no one is certain yet what caused Rigby to take such action. (Perhaps he suffered an anxiety attack... or just decided he didn't REALLY want to go to New Jersey.)

Jenne boarded the plane after it was all over to check on the condition of the passenger who was bitten, as well as to thank both passengers and crew for their heroic efforts to keep Rigby in check.

The bitten passenger, Paul Sigler, said he also suffered a broken hand in the incident. But he has no regrets.

He added that in this day and age... you just can't sit by and watch someone go nuts on a commercial aircraft.

FMI: www.continental.com