New York: man found hiding in JetBlue cockpit

A 26-year-old male passenger was discovered trying to hide in the cockpit of a JetBlue airplane yesterday after it had arrived in New York from the Dominican Republic. The man was discovered after the other passengers had left the plane, airline officials said.

JetBlue jet. Image by Michael Gray / CC BY-SA 2.0

NBC New York reports that the plane had landed in John F. Kennedy International Airport at 2am. A short time later the New Jersey native was found hiding in the cockpit, reports NJ.com.

The man then made an attempt to escape by opening an alarm door but was caught and escorted into the airport by airline ground personnel.

The Huffington Post reports that crew members were informed by the man that he had stayed on in the plane to avoid a group which he claimed was trying to jump him.

He was later taken to hospital and may face charges. It still isn’t clear how the passenger, who lives in Atlantic City, managed to enter the cockpit area without being observed by JetBlue personnel.