A Florida man allegedly took “catching a flight” to a whole different level after authorities say he climbed an airport fence, sneaked onto a parked JetBlue aircraft and ended up falling asleep inside the plane.
According to authorities, 32-year-old Samuel Prescott Lackey was arrested after allegedly breaking into a JetBlue aircraft at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in South Florida on August 1.
The bizarre incident happened while the aircraft was parked at a remote maintenance facility operated by JetScape Services, away from the airport’s main passenger terminal.
Investigators say surveillance video captured Lackey walking along a service road before allegedly climbing an approximately eight-foot barbed-wire fence to get onto the property.
Once inside, authorities say Lackey made his way toward the JetBlue aircraft, which was undergoing overnight maintenance.
The plane reportedly had its rear door open while maintenance workers were performing their work. Lackey allegedly used portable maintenance stairs positioned next to the aircraft to climb aboard.
But instead of trying to steal anything or interfere with the aircraft, authorities say Lackey hid inside the plane’s bathroom.
Maintenance workers eventually finished their work and closed and latched the aircraft doors, apparently unaware that Lackey was still inside.
The aircraft was then moved to another parking position.
According to the arrest information, JetBlue employees later discovered Lackey asleep inside the aircraft during a routine inspection.
The unusual discovery reportedly triggered an investigation, with surveillance footage helping authorities piece together how the man entered the restricted area.
Authorities say Lackey later admitted to climbing the fence.
The incident also caused problems for JetBlue operations. The aircraft could not be used for its scheduled flight, forcing the airline to replace it with another plane. Court documents reportedly put the cost of the disruption at approximately $2,400.96.
Lackey is facing several felony charges, including burglary of an occupied conveyance, criminal mischief involving more than $1,000 in damage and interrupting or impairing critical infrastructure.
According to jail records cited by PEOPLE, Lackey was being held at the Broward Main Jail with a total bond of $10,000.
The Broward County Aviation Department said the location where the aircraft was parked was in a remote area away from the passenger terminal complex.
JetBlue also addressed the incident, emphasizing that the safety of its passengers and crew remains its top priority and saying the airline would cooperate with law enforcement.
While no passengers were aboard the aircraft during the incident, the bizarre security breach has raised questions about how Lackey was able to get past the airport perimeter and board an aircraft undergoing maintenance.
For Lackey, however, the alleged airport break-in ended with authorities finding him in perhaps the last place anyone expected — asleep inside a JetBlue plane.
He now faces criminal charges as the case moves through the court system. The allegations against him have not been proven in court, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.