Psycho tries to open plane door mid-flight

[ryefd192 2]

Psycho tries to open jet door in air

BY DORIAN BLOCK and BRENDAN BROSH

DAILY NEWS WRITERS

Sunday, August 26th 2007, 4:00 AM

* Print

* Email

* Suggest a Story

Bobby Vigil helped subdue passenger.

Bobby Vigil helped subdue passenger.

Quick-thinking passengers and crew members managed to subdue a deranged man who tried to open an airplane door thousands of feet in the air on a flight to New York yesterday.

"There was a lot of panic," said passenger Bobby Vigil, who sat next to the man for most of the flight and later helped restrain him with duct tape and seat belts. "He tried to open the back door of the plane. He really wanted out at 30,000 feet."

Port Authority police met Frontier Airlines Flight 514 from Denver when it landed safely at LaGuardia Airport shortly before 6 a.m. After determining the culprit was emotionally disturbed, they took him to Elmhurst Hospital Center, Port Authority spokesman Pasquale DiFulco said. He was not charged.

Airline spokesman Joe Hodas said there were 128 passengers and five crew members aboard the A319 Airbus.

Vigil said the crazed man was bouncing up and down in his seat for most of the flight, clutching several boarding passes and kicking the row in front of him.

"He was playing with his hair, picking at his face and counting his fingers," said Vigil, 45, of Estes Park, Colo. "I thought he was anxious to get home or something."

Vigil said his rowmate left his seat to go to the bathroom in the front of the plane and briefly tried to open the cockpit door. The man, whom he described as Asian and about 20, then returned to his seat, only to get up 15 seconds later, go to the back of the plane and attempt to open the cabin door.

"I heard the flight attendant say, 'Help me!'" Vigil said. A struggle broke out, and Vigil and two other male passengers rushed over to help the attendant restrain the passenger.

"We taped him up in an 'X' pattern," said Vigil. "He wouldn't stay still or cooperate."

The man, whose name was not released, attempted to bite the tape off his hands and feet. Extension belts were used to keep him in place as the plane prepared to land, Vigil said.

Hodas said the man could not have opened the door even if he had not been subdued. "You need special training to open the door," he said.

Vigil, who works at a medical clinic, said he hopes his flight home to Colorado isn't as memorable. "It's my first trip to New York," said Vigil. "What a way to be welcomed."

dblock@nydailynews.com

With John Marzulli and News Wire Services

I can only begin to imagine what I might do if some idiot tried this on one of my flights...

[x129K 1,393]

I know what I woulod do - as most likely I would be travelling with my family.

I'd would kill him with my bare hands.

[RescueKujo 130]

He's lucky he wasn't flying SouthWest. Those passengers would have killed him.

[Guest]

"Hodas said the man could not have opened the door even if he had not been subdued. "You need special training to open the door," he said."

Wait a second--I thought all the information needed to open doors in an emergency is listed on the emergency card in the seatback in front of you and that the nearest exit may be behind you.... Now what do we do?

Duct Tape. Don't leave home without it.

[Guest]

Interestingly, this happened in an early episode of CSI Las Vegas. The passengers in the episode did kill the man.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unfriendly_Skies

edit: I just found a quote from another csi website that claims the doors cannot be opened in mid-flight.

"The passengers on the airplane were actually under no threat when the victim tried to open the door. The doors are designed so that they must be pulled in first before they can swing out. Since an airplane is pressurized while in flight, the door is sealed shut against the hull and even multiple people pulling against it will be unable to open it." Link

Can anyone verify this claim?

Edited August 26, 2007 by chappfd

[sr71 1]

He's lucky he wasn't flying SouthWest. Those passengers would have killed him.

ahhahahaha its so true

[Guest car2267]

Even if he was trained on how to operate the door, he would not have been able to open it in flight, especially at that altitude the cabin is pressurized depending on atmospheric pressure, so at 30k+ he wouldnt have been able to pull the door open, remeber that airplane door open inward then swing out, that is because the pneumatic seals that are around the keep it closed, also with the pneumatic seals they pressurized when the door engages a switch, even good old arnold schwarzenager wouldnt have been able to open it during the flight

[ex-commish 490]

I know what I woulod do - as most likely I would be travelling with my family.

I'd would kill him with my bare hands.

I think just out of fear anyone would of.

[dadbo46 50]

Duct Tape. Don't leave home without it.

Amen ! The greatest invention of the 20th century. Since Apollo 13, no US space flight has taken off without a supply of duct tape.

[Guest CRASH]

DING FRIES ARE DONE

[Oswegowind 17]

Just checked the Duct tape website...they have a "uses" list...this one has been added...

Taken from DuctOntheJob.com

Use 4,926: Using an X pattern to duct tape a crazy person into a seat on the airplane. Don't forget to tape his mouth shut so you don't have to hear him scream! Duct Tape, ON THE JOB!

[AFS1970 504]

So it is the outside air pressure not the lack of specialized training that keeps the doors closed during flight.

It is a good thing he actually tried to open the door, because if he had merely told someone what he was gong to do and they reported it, currently they could be sued for discriminating against him. Lets hope congress passes the law to prevent future Flying Imam's cases from ever happening. Because we all know we will risk the suit to protect ourselves and our families.

[Guest partyrock]

My personal favorite is the guy that sat on an EDP passenger and ended up suffocating the guy. Positional asphyxiation can be a real problem when you're under a 250 lb rucker.

[27east 19]

Nice to see the Federal Air Marshals...

[jayhalsey 6]

Someone mentioned that the directions to open the doors are on the safety card at your seat, but aren't they also printed right on the door? I dont know what kind of specialized training you need to open the door. Thought the exact opposite, so that anyone could open the door in an emergency. In flight the only thing you need to open the door is gorilla arms.