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Towing truck (a.k.a. a tug) in front of an airplane
Every major airport across the United States has multiple levels of security in place to prevent intruders from accessing areas closed to unauthorized personnel. However, they weren’t enough to prevent one person who was supposed to be aboard a flight from causing some havoc after stealing a vehicle they took for a joyride at a hub outside of Los Angeles.
Anyone who remembers what it was like to take a commercial flight before 9/11 is very aware of how much has changed since the attacks that led to airlines and the airports they fly in and out of overhauling their approach to security to prevent similar tragedies from unfolding in the future.
The TSA has started to ease back certain restrictions in recent years, and as of last month, some travelers can make their way through screening and into the terminal even if they don’t have a ticket.
However, they’ll still encounter the various measures that are harnessed to prevent members of the public from entering places where authorized personnel typically need to flash a badge or punch in a passcode to gain access.
Breaches in those areas tend to be a major cause for concern with the potential to trigger an exhaustive audit of a facility’s safeguards and protocols, and it seems like there may soon be a reassessment of the measures at John Wayne Airport in California based on what unfolded there on Wednesday.
A Delta passenger went for a joyride on the tarmac at John Wayne Airport after stealing a vehicle used to tow planes
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary hub for travelers going to and from the City of Angels, but there are also hundreds of arrivals and departures per day at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, which is used by a number of major airlines.
That includes Delta, which was operating a flight that was set to depart for Seattle on Wednesday evening. However, that journey (and a number of others) hit a slight snag courtesy of a passenger who was supposed to be aboard it but managed to cause some chaos outside.
According to The New York Times, Skyler Jay Barr, a 26-year-old-resident of Everett, Washington, allegedly barged through an emergency exit near Gate 12 around 5:30 P.M. before commandeering a tug, the name used to refer to the specialized vehicles that can latch onto landing gear and help planes navigate airports when they’re on the ground.
Air traffic control was forced to temporarily suspend takeoffs and landings as police were dispatched to the tarmac, where Barr was filmed taking the tug for a spin.
A Delta passenger at John Wayne Airport stole a tug and drove it around the tarmac before crashing into another vehicle, officials say. https://t.co/6hya3tBFOy https://t.co/KCl27sOyXV
— ABC News (@ABC) October 8, 2026
The fun came to an end when he crashed the vehicle into a cart, but he subsequently attempted to hijack an American Airlines sewage truck that’s used to clean out the lavatories before he was detained and charged with vehicle theft, trespassing, and vandalism.
The incident did not appear to impact the flight Barr was supposed to be on, as it actually ended up leaving nine minutes early and arrived in Seattle 20 minutes ahead of schedule.