Perhaps channeling Aussie Paul Kelly’s classic song lyric, “I’ve done all the dumb things…” a passenger was arrested at Melbourne airport Thursday after he left a stationary airliner through an emergency exit, walked along a wing, and then climbed down a jet engine to the tarmac.

Jetstar Flight JQ507 had arrived at MEL from Sydney and had parked at a terminal gate when the man left the plane by the right-side exit, officials said.

Opening the exit automatically deployed a slide from the back of the wing at the fuselage to the ground, a Jetstar statement said. But the man instead walked along the wing and climbed down one of the Airbus A320’s two engines.

Passenger Audrey Varghese said passengers screamed and shrieked as the man began “erratic” behaviour shortly before he opened the hatch. She added that the man “was exhibiting some quite strange behaviour. As soon as the plane had started coming to a stop, he immediately got up and basically charged to where the emergency exit row is, and in the process shoving people, causing a bit of commotion, (and) ripped open the emergency door.“

Another passenger, identified as Maddison, told Nine News television the man had been vaping, which is not allowed, during the 90-minute mid-morning flight and had unsuccessfully demanded the air crew provide him with alcohol.

Australian Federal Police officers had been alerted by Jetstar staff and arrested the man for “alleged aggressive behaviour and breaching aircraft safety protocols.” He was assessed by paramedics and taken to a hospital, where he remains for further assessment, the police statement said.

Police were continuing to investigate, and charges were likely to be laid at a later date, they said.

Melbourne Airport said the man was detained by aircrew and ground staff before police arrested him. Social media images showed at least three ground staff restraining the man on the tarmac.

Varghese spoke from the baggage collection area of the airport an hour after the landing and said passengers had been told the deployed slide had delayed the unloading of their luggage.