Flight diverted after 'unruly passenger' attempts to open exit door mid-flight: Witnesses

[Dennis Donovan]

https://abcnews.go.com/US/flight-diverted-unruly-passenger-attempts-open-exit-door/story?id=69397245

The passenger was removed from the aircraft but released without charges.

By Enjoli Francis, Mina Kaji and Amanda Maile

March 4, 2020, 7:39 PM

An American Airlines flight bound for Dallas from Chicago was forced to make an emergency landing after a passenger tried to open the emergency exit door in the middle of the journey.

American Airlines Flight 2300 left O'Hare International Airport Tuesday and was less than 45 minutes into its flight to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport when the plane had to be diverted to St. Louis, Missouri, because of the unidentified "unruly passenger," the airline said in a statement Wednesday.

"He started coming at the door," passenger Jonathan Cowan told ABC News. "He just had these big, black gazing eyes. There was really no emotion. ... He had all the door levers being flipped up. He was just going at it, attacking it."

The door, however, could not be opened. Airline experts said that emergency doors are kept sealed during flight by cabin pressure inside the plane.

Others on board were quick to subdue the unruly passenger.

</snip>

I get "panic". It can be overwhelming sometimes. But, yikes!

[superpatriotman]

1. Subways in the sky anymore

I’m sheltering like a damn veal these days.

[Under The Radar]

2. Leg cramps will do that to a man.

[PJMcK]

3. Cabin doors cannot be opened during pressurized flight

Here's a short video by YouTuber Mentour Pilot concerning cabin doors.

He has many other videos about airplanes and the flight industry that I highly recommend.

[Dennis Donovan]

5. They have to open inward before being able to be swung out

Differential air pressure (higher pressure inside the aircraft) keeps the door sealed above 8000' (or whenever the air pressure inside the aircraft is higher than outside).

[rickford66]

7. Quick and dirty calculation

door = 4' wide by 8' high = 4608 sq in

diff press of even 0.1 psi would mean the door would "weigh" 460 lbs

[Dennis Donovan]

8. Of course, none of this applies in an unpressurized aircraft

...you simply fall out of those, no getting "sucked" out.

[Tanuki]

4. ..."these big, black gazing eyes"....

[smirkymonkey]

6. Sounds like he was on drugs.

"Big, black, gazing eyes." His pupils were probably completely dilated making his eyes look black. Scary.

[not_the_one]

9. calm down, folks, he was just "unruly"

WTF???

Mental meltdown is a little more accurate, don't you think?