A passenger tried to open an aircraft door during a flight to the US, DW reports.
The incident happened on a flight from Los Angeles to Boston. Less than an hour before the end of the flight, the door unlocks sensor in the center of the aircraft went off in the cockpit. The flight attendants who approached the hatch found that the emergency shutter lever was unlocked, and the handle for opening the door was turned about a quarter. The crew then secured the bolt and door.
The crew suspected the 33-year-old passenger of breaking the door, as he was seen standing near it for some time. The crew members warned the captain that the passenger was likely to pose a threat to the aircraft and decided to land the plane at the nearest airport.
This video shot by a fellow passenger shows a Massachusetts man being subdued after his violent outburst on a Boston-bound United flight. https://t.co/giAarNd91A pic.twitter.com/sGeNQMSbX4
— WCVB-TV Boston (@WCVB) March 7, 2023
At that point, the suspect got up from his seat and attacked one of the crew members with a broken metal spoon, hitting the flight attendant three times in the neck, prosecutors said. But fellow travelers did not lose their heads and helped to pacify the disobedient passenger. The man was tied up and held until an emergency landing.
The airline said the passenger would be refused a flight in the future. In addition, if his guilt is proven, the 33-year-old man could face life imprisonment.