Passenger goes walkabout on tarmac at Madrid airport

[GoldwingSpain]

Seen this in couple of papers.

Ryanair passenger runs across Madrid runway to catch flight | Daily Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3730944/Ryanair-passenger-runs-Madrid-runway-catch-flight.html)

[OldLurker]

To be fair to the DM (reluctantly) the story doesn't say "passenger runs across runway" – the word "runway" is only in the web page title.

I wonder what was going through the pasenger's mind, such as it is. Did he think that if he caught up with the aircraft, they'd stop and let him on? Really? Though the story says it was a 737, and some 737s do have internal steps that deploy from under the front left door, so if this aircraft had one, they could have let him on, but I'm sure they wouldn't!

By the way, do any larger Boeings or Airbuses carry their own steps?

[S76Heavy]

Something to do with low cost travel, I think. Apparently, to some passengers flagging down an aircraft is quite similar to flagging down a bus...

[er340790]

10/10 for Determination. :D

Minus Several Million for Intelligence. :ugh:

[SMT Member]

Air Leary's aerial cashcows are fitted with integrated fwd airstairs. Or, at least, some are/were. Don't think there's much chance of being let onboard, at least not without paying the very very late boarding fee!

Pax these days continue to display an ever more alarmingly poor command of mental faculties.

[tdracer]

By the way, do any larger Boeings or Airbuses carry their own steps?

The only ones I'm aware of are the two Air Force One 747s - they have 'airstairs' leading to the forward cargo area (which isn't configured for cargo on AF1) - then a staircase to the main deck. It's actually pretty slick looking in operation.
There may be some similar set-ups for VIP aircraft but I've never seen one (although there is at least one VIP 747 that is equipped with a ground loading elevator).

[crablab]

Pax these days continue to display an ever more alarmingly poor command of mental faculties.

Well, it is a Ryanair pax ;)

[Big M]

Similar to tdracer's mention of Air Force One, the four E4B (747) Airborne Command Aircraft of The USAF have similar steps fitted.
Of course these are military "money no object" aircraft, when it comes to commercial passenger aircraft the cost via fuel burn of carrying the weight of air stairs around everyday can't be justified. In addition there is the cost of maintenance, repair, inspection, spare parts etc. A cheap set of aluminium push in stairs at each destination will win every time.

[short bus]

http://youtu.be/tsi6we74hxc

[TBSC]

By the way, do any larger Boeings or Airbuses carry their own steps?

+ Il-86/96, Mad Dogs, Fokker 70, Yak-40/42.

[Denti]

Airstais are a normal customer option on all 737s. We used to have them installed on our classics and a few NGs before we deactivated them and removed them. Were quite useful when groundhandling was slow again.

[ATC Watcher]

Back airstairs used to be standard feature on previous generations jets , B727, DC9, Caravelle, BA111 etc. saved lot of time, at the time ... now waiting for stairs or jetways is part of the game ...

[flight_mode]

The article has been updated to say they stopped and let him board. Brilliant!

Unfortunately, when he landed he was met by the police and reported for airport security infringements.

[EEngr]

The man in question is now likely to face a very high fine.He had to fly RyanAir. Isn't that punishment enough?;)

[atakacs]

The article has been updated to say they stopped and let him board. Brilliant!

seriously?

[sitigeltfel]

Some news feeds say the aircraft he was chasing wasn't his and the one he should have been on was still at the gate.
After checking him over, security allowed him to board.

Crazier things have happened! :ugh:

[Julio747]

If they will change gates at the last minute...

[RevMan2]

If I understand this correctly, the Ryanair captain stoppedand allowed a passenger who had obviously evaded at least one security checkpoint onto his aircraft....?

[DaveReidUK]

If I understand this correctly, the Ryanair captain stopped and allowed a passenger who had obviously evaded at least one security checkpoint onto his aircraft....?

No, you don't understand it correctly.

The badly-written DM article ("passenger runs across Madrid Runway" - really??) has now removed the reference to the aircraft stopping and letting the passenger board. As noted previously, he was in fact chasing the wrong aircraft and after being intercepted he was allowed to board the correct flight, presumably in the conventional manner.

[PAXboy]

First MAD failure was that he could get down the jetway that had no aircraft attached.

[Phoenix1969]

Wasn't he worried about getting sucked into an engine?!

[Daverb]

The BBC website is saying he 'caught his flight'.

I was thinking how on earth did he get on if they had already pushed back but that makes more sense if he was aprehended and then allowed on a different flight. (The right one).

Why on earth did they let him go after doing that though.

Crazy.

[RevMan2]

No, you don't understand it correctly.

The badly-written DM article ("passenger runs across Madrid Runway" - really??) has now removed the reference to the aircraft stopping and letting the passenger board. As noted previously, he was in fact chasing the wrong aircraft and after being intercepted he was allowed to board the correct flight, presumably in the conventional manner.

Actually, I did understand the original article correctly and commented accordingly.
The corrected content doesn't answer the question as to why the passenger wasn't having a long chat with PC Pablo.........

[PAXboy]

Wasn't he worried about getting sucked into an engine?!
I wonder what his blood alcohol levels were as he was not thinking anything much.

[Local Variation]

Odd that the person airside chose to film the guy rather than stop him.

[PAXboy]

Second MAD failure was that when he jumped down and spoke to a driver of a luggage tug - the driver did not stop him going any further.

Third MAD failure as Local Variation states is that another airside worker did not stop him.

One is tempted to make stereotypical comments about Spanish workers ...

[Dont Hang Up]

It is worth remembering that not everyone is a seasoned air traveler and there is no user manual that the novice traveler is required to read in advance of arriving for their flight.

Lacking knowledge of the dangers of airside operations, or the general security paranoia of all airports, one only needs to add the ingredient of panic at seeing one's supposed aircraft departing to understand how this gentleman may have behaved the way he did.

The responsibility is entirely with the airport to ensure that kind of behaviour is prevented. If there is no aircraft at one end of an air bridge then there should be a locked door at the other end.

[Daverb]

True. Good points Dont Hang Up.

[PAXboy]

100% the fault of staff at MAD.

[Evanelpus]

100% the fault of staff at MAD.

The only authority that should be taking any kinda stick over this is the airport operator. This isn't some mickey mouse backwater airport we are talking about here.

[RAT 5]

LoCo's advertise themselves (SWA) as a flying bus. London passengers demanded a return of the hop on hop off double decker route master. Connect the dots and hey presto.

[onetrack]

It's quite possible the pax in question originates from a 3rd world country, where airside security is lax in the extreme, and flagging down your flight as it's taxiing, is de rigeur?? :rolleyes: