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NFTA: Woman arrested for unruly behavior on flight, opened cabin door

NFTA: Woman arrested for unruly behavior on flight, opened cabin door
Posted at 5:52 AM, Apr 20, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-20 13:31:04-04

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — The NFTA says 24-year-old Cynthia McKnight from Sacramento, CA was arrested at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport after she exhibited "unruly behavior" on board a flight Tuesday night.

This was on an American Airlines flight on route to Chicago. According to detectives, McKnight opened the cabin door of the plane. In a tweet from Bills offensive tackle Spencer Brown, who appeared to be on the flight, he shows a picture of the inflatable emergency slide coming out of the plane. He says the woman was running on the tarmac.

The NFTA says McKnight faces a number of charges including disorderly conduct, harassment, trespassing and criminal mischief.

American Airlines released the following statement to ABC News:

Shortly after pushback from the gate at Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) on April 19, American Eagle Flight 3933, with service to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), returned to the gate due to a disruptive customer. Prior to reattaching the jet bridge, the disruptive customer opened the main boarding door, which deployed the emergency slide, and exited the aircraft onto the ramp. The individual was quickly apprehended by local law enforcement and has been placed on American’s internal refuse list pending further investigation. We thank our team members for their professionalism and action to ensure the safety of our customers and crew.