Recent incidents involving airline passengers trying to open the emergency exit in flight have some travelers wondering whether they are in real danger around such unpredictable behavior.
Yesterday, prosecutors filed an affidavit in St. Louis federal court alleging that Reynel C. Alcaide was trying to commit suicide when he pinned a flight attendant against the wall and made repeated attempts to open the emergency door just after take off on Continental Flight 546 from Houston to Chicago.
The flight was diverted to St. Louis where Alcaide was arrested.
The 34-year-old man was reported to be emotionally distraught at the time of the May 8 incident. The judge has postponed his decision and Alcaide will undergo a psychiatric exam before the judge sets bail.
On May 10, Robert J. Hersey, Jr. was flying on Delta Flight 1102 from Orlando to Boston when he attempted to open an emergency door just after take-off. Passenger reports indicate that Hersey appeared drunk and was upset that the flight was late.
Hersey’s attorney argued that his client was not trying to open the emergency door but was instead trying to put a cover back in place that had fallen off and triggered an alarm system. Hersey was arrested for attempting to interfere with a flight’s operations and later released on $1,000 cash bail. Last week, Hersey pleaded not guilty and will stand trial on June 6.
Last year, 21-year-old Playboy model Tiffany Livingston was arrested after attempting to open an emergency exit door mid flight on JetBlue Flight 522 from Orlando to Newark. Livingston was traveling without her anxiety medication and a panicked response to turbulence caused her to reach for the door handle.
The charges against Livingston were dropped after a federal investigation concluded that she was trying to stabilize herself with the handle and did not intend to open the door.
These incidents may be more common than expected. In the past decade, there have been a dozen similar incidents originating outside of Boston Logan International Airport alone.
Travelers should take note, however, that despite the perceived danger, it is nearly impossible to open a plane door during flight, as external air pressure essentially creates a seal for the door, which opens inward.
According to aircraft manufacturer Boeing, “To facilitate breathing and passenger comfort, airplanes are pressurized to the equivalent atmosphere of 8,000 feet. Since airplanes typically cruise above 30,000 feet, the air pressure inside the plane is much greater than the pressure outside—and that pressure differential makes it impossible to open the door.”
By Lily J. Kosner for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related links: MSNBC, USA Today, New York Post, Boeing, Boston Globe
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