Passengers on a flight from Albuquerque to Chicago on Tuesday were treated to some unscheduled in-flight entertainment when a group attacked an unruly passenger who’d attempted to open an emergency exit mid-flight.
The incident occurred on an American Airlines flight after the plane had reached an altitude of 26,000 feet, officials say. The unidentified man got out of his seat, walked over to the exit and began to open it – but was thwarted by a group of passengers who tackled him, says Blaze Ward, one of the travelers who was involved in the skirmish. "He already had the safety mechanism down and had both hands on the lever,” Ward says. “He was like yanking it -- and he was a big dude. There was a difference in pressure; a whistling."
The passengers then duct-taped the man to a seat, which is where he remained for the duration of the flight, Ward says. The suspect was taken into custody in Chicago and the FBI has launched an investigation, the agency confirms.
For those wondering, can that even be done? Yes and no. IF the play were at a very low altitude then yes. Once your plane is above 10,000 there is no chance anyone can get that door open due to the pressure of the cabin.
If you remember the Asiana flight where the man did it, the plane was at 850 feet and minutes from touching down. No one, other than the idiot opening the door, is in any danger there.