Passenger believes he spots something terrifying on plane and calls police, his next move causes chaos on the runway

A flight at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was canceled this week after a passenger opened an emergency exit door and deployed the inflatable slide while the plane was still moving. The incident happened when a KLM flight to Amsterdam was getting ready to leave, forcing police to board the aircraft.

According to People, the Atlanta Police Department said officers responded to the problem on KLM Flight 622. They identified the passenger as 32-year-old Johannes Van Heertum. Police say the early investigation shows Van Heertum appeared to be having a mental health crisis when he called 911 claiming he saw another passenger with a weapon on board.

The situation got worse quickly after the 911 call. Van Heertum reportedly panicked and opened the emergency exit door while the plane was moving toward the runway, deploying the large inflatable slide. That action immediately stopped the plane and brought in police.

Van Heertum’s panic created a nightmare for hundreds of travelers

Passengers on board described the scary moments before the slide deployed. Jack Anderson, a passenger on the flight, said that the man was “really loud” and everyone could hear him claiming someone had a gun. Another passenger, Jane Anderson, said things escalated quickly before the crew could step in. She said flight attendants “pounced on him, but he had already opened the door to the aircraft.”

After the plane returned to Ramp 9, police officers boarded the flight and arrested Van Heertum. He was checked by EMTs at the International Terminal Precinct before being charged. Van Heertum is facing charges of Reckless Conduct, Criminal Damage to Property, and Interfering with Security Measures. He was taken to Clayton County Jail, police said.

KLM airlines confirmed the incident, noting that the flight had to be canceled completely. The airline said because of the “unruly passenger” incident during taxiing, they had to cancel Flight KL622. KLM confirmed they rebooked all other passengers onto the next available flights. Flight attendants deal with challenging situations regularly, including innocent passenger habits that frustrate crew.

Jack Anderson said he was relieved the situation didn’t happen at a worse time, saying he was “glad that he didn’t open it mid-flight.” Deploying an inflatable slide while flying at 35,000 feet would have been much more dangerous. Crew members face many awkward moments during flights, including when they must ignore passengers taking secret photos.

The Atlanta Police Department notified APD Homeland Security about the event. The investigation is still ongoing, and police say they have nothing more to share at this time.