Man faces charges after jumping from moving plane in LAX

A passenger who last week tried to break into an airplane’s cockpit and jumped from the moving aircraft at Los Angeles International Airport faces federal charges, authorities said Monday.

Luis Antonio Victoria Dominguez, 33, of La Paz, Mexico, broke his leg Friday when he opened the plane’s emergency exit and jumped to the tarmac, officials said. He underwent surgery and is expected to appear this week in federal court on the charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

Victoria Dominguez was aboard United Airlines flight 5365, operated by SkyWest Airlines and scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, authorities said. The plane was pulling away from the gate at about 7 p.m. when he allegedly sprinted to the cockpit, passing a seated flight attendant.

He began pounding on the locked cockpit door and trying to open it, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles. He then opened the emergency exit, causing the emergency slide to partially deploy.

Although another passenger tried to restrain him, Victoria Dominguez got away and jumped from the aircraft, according to the criminal complaint filed in federal court. He missed the emergency slide and landed on the tarmac, breaking his right leg.

The criminal complaint against him was made public Monday.

If convicted as charged, Victoria Dominguez faces up to 20 years in prison.