MELBOURNE, Fla. – A student pilot made unauthorized access to a commercial jet early Thursday at Orlando Melbourne International Airport, prompting officials to close the airport, authorities said.
The incident took place in a maintenance area of the airport in Melbourne.
Airport spokeswoman Lori Booker said the 26-year-old man parked his car curbside, with the engine still on, jumped a fence and boarded an American Airlines plane that was out of service. Booker said an airport worker saw the man get on the plane and called police.
Melbourne police took the man into custody.
The car was placed on a flatbed truck and towed away.
Booker said the man was born in Trinidad and entered the United States through Canada. She said he has a Florida driver's license, but didn't know what school he attended.
All flights were suspended while authorities conducted a security sweep of the airport. The airport has since re-opened.