The plane was flying high over the Atlantic Ocean after leaving Madrid in Spain on its way to the Venezuelan capital Caracas when the man leapt out of his seat and tried the door
Plane passenger allegedly tries to open emergency exit during flight
A plane passenger sparked panic on a busy flight when he allegedly tried to open an emergency exit in mid-air.
The plane was flying high over the Atlantic Ocean when the man jumped out of his seat and headed towards the door. Fellow passengers began to scream as the man was said to have yanked at the door lever as flight attendants raced over to try and restrain him, with one getting injured in the process.
Footage showed the passenger at the emergency exit as cabin crew members attempt to pull him back, while other travellers leap to their feet as they watched the dramatic scenes unfold just a few feet away. The suspect was later seen lying on the floor with his hands tied behind his back after being restrained by Plus Ultra cabin crew.
The incident took place during Flight 701 from Madrid, Spain, to the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Friday, February 28, on an Airbus A330. The plane was about halfway through its journey when it happened and despite the scary event, the plane ended up landing at its destination ahead of schedule. The man was reportedly detained after the plane landed in Caracas.
A Plus Ultra spokeswoman said: “A passenger began to feel restless, annoying the person in the next seat with shouts and slapping him while he was asleep. The crew acted quickly, calming the situation between the two and relocating the passenger to another seat where he could not disturb anyone. Moments later, this individual suddenly went to one of the doors of the plane trying to manipulate it.
“Immediately, our cabin crew subdued the passenger and, following the action protocol, secured him in the back of the plane until he reached the destination. At all times he was accompanied by two people from the crew, lying on the ground and attended to avoid any possible altercation. One of our cabin crew suffered a partial fracture of the fibula for which he has already been treated and which will keep him out for a few weeks.”
Plus Ultra operates scheduled routes from its hub in Madrid to Latin America. It is unclear what prompted the passenger to attempt to open the emergency exit. It is nearly impossible to open exits on modern planes such as the Airbus A330 after they have reached an altitude of around 10,000 feet. The difference between the internal cabin pressure and the outside air pressure effectively seals the doors.
Some aircraft have a special flight lock feature that mechanically closes the door after the aircraft reaches a certain speed. But there have been reported incidents of a passenger managing to open an emergency exit during a flight. In 2023, a traveller on an Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 managed to open the door while the plane was coming in to land in South Korea.
