A passenger waiting to board a flight at John Wayne Airport in Southern California was arrested Tuesday evening after authorities say he somehow made his way onto the airfield, stole an airport vehicle and crashed it before allegedly trying to take a second vehicle.
The unusual incident unfolded around 5:30 p.m. at the Orange County airport.
According to airport officials, the man had been scheduled to travel on a Delta Air Lines flight from Orange County to Seattle.
Instead, officials say he exited the terminal through an access door near Gate 12 and entered the restricted ramp area used by airport workers, airline crews and service vehicles.
The passenger then allegedly took an Alaska Airlines tug, a small utility vehicle commonly used to move baggage carts and other equipment around an airport.
Authorities say he drove the tug across the airfield toward Gate 7 before crashing into another vehicle.
The incident did not end there.
Airport officials said the man then attempted to get into an American Airlines lavatory service truck, which is used to service aircraft bathrooms.
Airport Police Services officers caught up with him before he was able to drive away in the second vehicle.
He was taken into custody roughly 10 minutes after the security breach began.
The man was later transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment of injuries associated with the crash.
Officials have not publicly identified him.
It also remains unclear what prompted him to leave the terminal or allegedly take the airport vehicles.
Authorities have not said whether alcohol, drugs or any other factor may have played a role.
The incident briefly interrupted activity near the affected gates.
Air traffic control recordings captured controllers warning pilots about a security problem on the airfield, with one controller explaining that someone had stolen a tug.
Flights were briefly held while authorities secured the area, although airport officials said there was no significant impact on overall operations.
No official airport-wide ground stop was issued.
The area near Gate 7 was closed for approximately 10 minutes while police responded.
Normal operations resumed shortly afterward.
Delta said it was aware of the incident and referred questions about the arrest to airport and law enforcement officials.
The criminal investigation has since been turned over to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials have not yet announced what charges the passenger may face.
Despite the dramatic security breach and crash, authorities have not reported injuries to other passengers or airport employees.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.