A couple caused disruption on a flight leaving New York after they fled the plane via an emergency slide with their pet dog, the New York Times reports.
The Delta Air Lines flight was bound for Atlanta, and was getting ready to depart La Guardia Airport on Monday.
The couple, from Florida, reportedly moved seats several times as the flight was due to leave, as the plane was not full.
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Witnesses report the male passenger appeared agitated as the plane taxied towards the runway, eventually forcing open the front cabin door and jumping out using the emergency chute.
He was then followed by his female companion, who was carrying their Great Dane puppy - which the New York Times says was a 'large service dog'.
A spokesperson for Delta Air Lines, told LADbible: "During flight 462's taxi-out at La Guardia, a party of two opened a cabin door and exited the aircraft via the slide. The aircraft returned to the gate where the remaining customers deplaned normally and were accommodated on alternate flights. Maintenance technicians have evaluated the aircraft and it departed Monday evening."
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The couple were named by airline as Antonio Murdock, 31, and Briana Greco, 23, with officials saying they were taken into custody shortly after the incident.
According to a complaint filed in Queens Criminal Court, Murdock was charged with criminal mischief, a felony and reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor, and also faces a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespass.
Both Murdock and Greco were released - Murdock after an arraignment, officials said. He is due to appear in court in February.
Meanwhile, the dog - an eight-month-old named Rain - was taken to Animal Care Centers of NYC's Brooklyn shelter, a spokeswoman told the New York Times.
Fellow passenger Brian Plummer was sitting near the back of the plane when he noticed a man and woman with their service dog nearby.
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Plummer said the couple changed seats several times and never settled, before the man stood up - ignoring a flight attendant's order to sit down - and said he had post-traumatic stress disorder.
He quoted Murdock as saying: "If I sit down, I'll freak out."
Plummer also claimed that Murdock warned he would 'pop the door', and also said at one point: "I need to get off the plane."
Plummer said he felt the plane shudder to a stop a short time later, and while it was not immediately clear what had happened, the flight crew went on to explain the situation to passengers.
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The complaint states that a Delta maintenance manager told authorities the force exerted when such a slide deploys 'could have a serious physical impact on people or property' in its path.
But thankfully, nobody was injured during the incident, officials said.
The plane, which had been scheduled to depart just before 10am, returned to the gate, with a Delta spokeswoman saying the remaining passengers 'deplaned normally and were accommodated on alternate flights'.
Plummer claims his departure was delayed by several hours.
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LADbible has contacted Delta Airlines for comment.
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