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During an American Airlines flight, a man was restrained by fellow passengers after attempting to forcefully open the plane door while in the air.
On Tuesday (February 20th), a man on flight AA1219 from Albuquerque to Chicago tried to open the emergency exit door just 30 minutes into the nearly three-hour trip.
According to reports, six individuals physically subdued the man, pinning him to the floor of the aisle and securing his legs with duct tape and restraining him with flexi-cuffs.
Numerous individuals on the flight used X (previously known as Twitter) to depict the chaos.
A fellow passenger, known as The Wonton Don (@DonnieDoesWorld), shared: “Just 30 minutes into our flight from Albuquerque, I was abruptly awakened from my Panda Express and Tequila-induced daze by a man attempting to forcefully open the door of the plane, four rows behind me.”
“One of the scariest days of my life,” wrote Lay Z (@layzdubz), who added that a “huge gush of wind” came “out of nowhere” when the man opened the emergency exit door.
The aircraft was successfully redirected for an emergency touchdown in Albuquerque.
The video clip displays the man being led from the aircraft to the runway while restrained by handcuffs and accompanied by four officers of the law.
The Independent was informed by American Airlines that flight 1219, traveling from Albuquerque (ABQ) to Chicago (ORD), had to turn back to ABQ soon after takeoff due to a disruptive passenger causing disturbance in the cabin.
The plane arrived at its destination without any issues and was greeted by local authorities upon landing.
This disturbance is reminiscent of previous occurrences in the cabin within the past year.
In July, during a Ryanair flight from Zadar to London Stansted, a man caused a disturbance and attempted to open the door right before take-off, resulting in other passengers restraining him.
In September, a traveler was held at Agartala airport in northeast India for reportedly attempting to unlock an airplane door.
In November, a string of events led to the implementation of additional precautions for South Korean travelers before takeoff.
New operating guidelines mandate that airlines must caution passengers against opening aircraft doors while in flight to prevent any potential attempts to open emergency exits.
Source: independent.co.uk
