News

Man runs through Sea-Tac security, gets into unoccupied plane

SEATAC, Wash. — A man in his late 20s was taken into custody Friday night at Sea-Tac Airport after he ran through a security checkpoint and into an unoccupied aircraft, airport officials said.

The incident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. at a checkpoint on the north end of the airport. Airport spokesman Perry Cooper said the man then ran onto the tarmac, broke a window and then got on board an unoccupied plane.

Passenger Steven Flynn saw it all. “He walked downstairs to get onto tarmac.  He walked beside the airplane under the jetway, walked up outside the steps of the jetway , and then broke a window to a door. He broke this heavily reinforced window and got onto the airplane.”

Police found the man on an American Airlines plane that was scheduled to fly to Miami. Police detained the man and carried him off the plane. The flight was delayed while Port of Seattle Police used a dog to search the plane.

The man was booked into the King County Jail. There were no injuries reported as a result of the incident.

The Port of Seattle did not evacuate the terminal and re-screen passengers after the security breach. Transportation Security Administration workers say they were aware of the man’s movements at all times.