A United Airlines flight sat stranded in Idaho Falls because a drunk passenger pocketed the wrong souvenir: a small metal clip that holds the emergency escape rope at an over-wing exit. That $5 carabiner not only grounded the jet, but also ended in pepper spray, felony charges, and probation stretching to 2031.
Nearly a year ago, on September 28, 2024, after a United flight from Denver to Idaho Falls (IDA) crew discovered that the over‑wing emergency escape rope assembly was missing its clip — a small carabiner that lets the rope attach to a hard point so people can stabilize themselves while evacuating across the wing in an emergency. Without that clip installed and inspected, the plane can’t be dispatched.
The passenger had moved from his assigned seat 22C into an exit row, asked for alcohol (he was refused), and according to another passenger and crew fiddled with the exit row “rope with the hook.” On arrival, a post‑flight safety check flagged the missing piece. It was later found in the man’s front pocket curbside at the airport. The next flight was delayed nearly two hours because the part was missing and maintenance had to clear the aircraft once it was recovered.
A carabiner is a small, spring‑loaded metal connector used to clip a rope to an anchor point (think climbing hardware). In over‑wing exits you’ll often find an escape rope stowed in the frame. A $5–$10 piece of metal by itself looks trivial but it’s part of the emergency egress system, and required for airworthiness.
Bodycam from a responding officer show a first interaction with staff, asking for names and IDs of the suspect and witness. Now things get weird. The airline called for law enforcemnet, but staff won’t release information without a warrant or subpoena! The officer is… clearly frustrated: “It’s your crime. If you don’t want my help, that’s fine” and “How the heck do you expect me to solve this?”
Bodycam footage from the incident was posted publicly for the first time this weekend. The original post of the bodycam footage isn’t embeddable, but here it is with some extraneous commentary.
A bystander then helps identify the man. Curbside at the airport, the officer requests ID from the suspect and tells the man the plane “can’t leave until you give us the carabiner.” The item comes out of his right front pocket.
While the officer waits for backup and paperwork, the suspect raises his voice, squares up, and advances. The officer deploys pepper spray and arrests him for felony theft from an aircraft, assault on an officer, and resisting arrest/obstructing justice. (Later in the video the officer notes he’ll refer the case to FAA and Homeland Security as well, although this was handled as a state crime.)
The man received probation (case CR10‑24‑09385), released to supervision July 7, 2025, with a sentence satisfaction date of July 6, 2031. So he didn’t get prison term, but he did receive a lengthy sentence.
(HT: N830MH)
The guy got off easy. My sympathy is pretty much nonexistent when idiots move from their assigned seats then sabotage emergency equipment for kicks. A decade or two on the no-fly list, followed by a SSSS on every boarding pass afterwards might illustrate that you don’t do these things.
While I’m not downplaying the theft or the rightous arrest and conviction of the drunk perpetrator, you mean to tell me ground maintenance did’nt have a replacement for the $5 carabiner??? And the plane was actually GROUNDED because of this??? Really United?????
@Doc423: I guess United should anticipate Americans to be so stupid as to put other’s lives at stake. If that was the case, arrest all of the Americans so the t-rump can pardon them too.
@Doc423: Probably some sort of inspection is required after messing with a safety system.
But why isn’t the carabiner with the rope?
I know the FA was “just” doing her job, but god bless her…this shows how important our FA’s are. I have not flown in a while and had no idea/have never seen that little compartment, and I suppose it is the FA’s job to hook that rope up because I wouldn’t know to do that or how.
I’m going out on a limb here. But this seems to be a UAX and not a Mainline route. Which UAX feeder was this? Currently this is a Skywest OO route. I highly doubt there is a spare carabiner at IDA with UA if UA doesn’t fly there.
I actually saw the body cam from the police officer involved with the passenger. It was wild. The passenger’s boss was picking him up from the airport and was really not too happy with him so I really don’t think he has a job anymore.
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Important to remember too you can’t just replace it with any carabiner. It has a part number. One that meets the qualification, testing, etc, that’s inspected and on the inventory must be used. So yeah, not easy to replace. And had to have contract maintenance come out and inspect and do paperwork.
I gotta say, this officer handled it in a very chilled way and even kept on giving the perpetrator ways out. The perpetrator just made one stupid move after another.
It seems his ID is an EAD or document issued by DHS.
If someone reports him to DHS, he will finally receive the real punishment.
A drunk passenger should not be in an emergency exit row seat. Why was he allowed to stay there?
Any part used on an airplane needs to be correct and have an airworthiness certificate. You can’t just go down to Lowe’s and pick up a few screws if you find some missing from a plane.
God help you if you put a part on a plane without the proper paperwork and there is an accident.
Doc423: Yes…the plane can be grounded for one “simple” carabiner. The MANUFACTURER and the FAA determine a minimum equipment list or MEL for EACH model (737-200, 737-800, etc) of aircraft. That rope clip is a “no go” item. Whether it is a simple carabiner or not, that part carries a specific part number that complies with a TSO or “technical standard order”. One can’t go to a sporting goods store to buy another carabiner. I dare say that an airline just has TSO carabiners sitting around because no one figures that some a**h**e would steal one! There are myriads of “no go” items in a MEL. Typically these parts are at a maintenance base, not every outlying destination. Before most airlines abolished smoking on board, the plane could be grounded due to the tiny, in armrest, ashtray missing. The door open lock on all doors is a MEL “no go” item. United had nothing to do with the REQUIRED grounding of the aircraft. They are complying with THE LAW.
I saw the video and this moron deserved to be pepper sprayed. He should have felt the sting of a nightstick.
Another example: do not cooperate with law enforcement.
meh. A sentence without time in a cage, is worth less than a stern talking to.
@Robin Rosner
most people don’t know about that rope. it’s only on a few aircraft (737 or Airbus320) and only used in ditching. the FA’s will tell you ” take this and hook it into the eyelet on the wing” , since the FA’s have to stay on board until all passengers are out, they can’t do it.