Brave passengers detain teen allegedly boarded plane with gun

A teenage boy has been charged with a raft of offences, after allegedly trying to board a Jetstar flight with a gun at Melbourne’s second airport. 

The 17-year-old was tackled and detained by passengers on the plane at Avalon Airport yesterday afternoon after he approached flight attendants, reportedly with a loaded shotgun.

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No one was injured. Avalon Airport says they’re investigating the situation and their immediate focus is on the safety of passengers and staff. Jetstar says they’re working with Police and the airport.

It’s believed the teen got access to the airport through a hole in a fence. His arrest sparked major security fears of how he got onto the plane. 

Barry Clark, one of the passengers who helped detain the boy, said the crew knew something was off.

“He was dressed up as a worker and he got agitated, and before we know it there was a gun,” Clark told ABC Radio.

“All I could do was push her away, get the gun out of the way, throw that down the stairs and put him in a hold and throw him to the ground until the police come.”

“You don’t think, you act”.

The teenager has been remanded in custody and will face the children’s court on a number of charges, including unlawfully taking control of an aircraft, possessing a firearm and threatening a bomb hoax. 

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