Delta Passenger Arrested After Airport Tug Joyride Ends With Crash

Sometimes you just have to go outside and stretch your legs before a long flight. One person decided to get some fresh air at John Wayne International Airport by running out onto the tarmac and going for a drive. Airport police arrested a Delta Air Lines passenger on Tuesday after stealing an airport tug and taking it for a joyride. Before you imagine a police chase across the apron, the 26-year-old man crashed the tug and was arrested while attempting to steal another vehicle.

Skyler Barr had a ticket to fly from Santa Ana, California, to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. He never got the chance to board that Delta flight because he opted to use his free will. According to The New York Times, Barr accessed the tarmac through an emergency door at Gate 12 in Terminal B. He then stole a tug assigned to Alaska Airways. People inside the terminal caught the theft on camera. Barr drove off and quickly crashed into a utility cart near Gate 7. Not wanting his joyride to end so soon, he attempted to steal an American Airlines lavatory truck but was arrested. Barr now faces vehicle theft, trespassing and vandalism charges.

Airport tugs aren't like production cars you would see on the road. Video shows Barr struggling to get up to speed with the Textron baggage tractor's controls. These machines are specialized work vehicles designed around a specific purpose. Most have a modest top speed of around 20 miles per hour, but can tow up to 8,000 pounds and have a turning radius tight enough to maneuver around crowded airport gates.

Despite the tarmac hijinks, the Delta flight that Barr had a ticket for still left on time. This is far from the first time that a passenger went out to the planes at ground level. In 2023, a passenger at Canberra Airport in Australia ran out on the tarmac to stop the QantasLink flight she missed from leaving. She ran up to the taxiing aircraft as if the crew could simply open the door and let her on like it's a bus. Things can go horribly wrong out there. Incidents with heavy vehicles and whirling turbofan engines have injured and killed airport staff.