CHANTILLY, Virginia (AP) -- A passenger tried to open the exit door of a jet during a cross-country flight on Tuesday night, airline and federal officials said.
United Airlines Flight 890 from Los Angeles landed as scheduled at Washington Dulles International Airport at 8:35 p.m., said Amy Kudwa, Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman. No one was injured.
The passenger became unruly about 31/2 hours into the flight from Los Angeles and was subdued by other passengers and federal air marshals, said United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy.
"After the passenger was restrained, the pilot decided to land at Dulles," McCarthy said. "It wasn't an emergency landing."
Airport police and FBI agents met the flight and were interviewing the passenger, said FBI spokeswoman Debbie Wierman.
There were 138 passengers and six crew members on board, McCarthy said.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Jetjack74 From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 7336 posts, RR: 52 Reply 1, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 4949 times:
Gee, how many times has this been attempted? Well, since their plug-type doors, the door control handles will sever before the will open. Idiot
Ikramerica From United States of America, joined May 2005, 21029 posts, RR: 60 Reply 2, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 4916 times:
Quoting Hiflyer (Thread starter): "After the passenger was restrained, the pilot decided to land at Dulles," McCarthy said. "It wasn't an emergency landing."
Finally! A pilot that doesn't divert and declare an emergency when a single moron does something stupid. Bravo to this pilot. I wish more would take the lead and continue on to the destination unless a continued threat is suspected. One annoying unarmed man or one elderly woman with a loud voice isn't an emergency.
Of all the things to worry about... the Wookie has no pants.
HAL From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 2466 posts, RR: 53 Reply 3, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 4850 times:
Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 2): One annoying unarmed man or one elderly woman with a loud voice isn't an emergency.
No, they may not be an emergency at the time, but as a pilot I have to consider what may happen. Is this person having to be restrained continuously? Are passengers/crew out of their seats sitting on top of this person? Do I really want to continue on for another several hours with a possibly unstable person onboard in this situation? In this case I don't know what was said, but the Captain must have been consulting with the company, and with the flight attendants and air marshals in the back, and between all of them came to a decision on where to go. Since this one was already 3 1/2 hours into the flight, it's possible that by the time the situation was settled, IAD was already the closest option. Second gussing the crew's decision making process without full knowledge of what went on is always an exercise in futility.
HAL
One smooth landing is skill. Two in a row is luck. Three in a row and someone is lying.
Ikramerica From United States of America, joined May 2005, 21029 posts, RR: 60 Reply 4, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 4737 times:
Well HAL, there are no places for you to divert 3 hours into a Hawaii flight anyway, so either way, your decision is made for you...
Of all the things to worry about... the Wookie has no pants.
LHMARK From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 7255 posts, RR: 51 Reply 6, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 4568 times:
What pisses me off is that the stories published about events like this never mention that it's nigh impossible to open the door in midair, so the flying public has very little to worry about. Fearmongering by omission. Sickening.
"Sympathy is something that shouldn't be bestowed on the Yankees. Apparently it angers them." - Bob Feller
FlyBoy84 From United States of America, joined May 2005, 364 posts, RR: 5 Reply 7, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 4188 times:
What a DUMDUM!
These FOOLS just seem to take leave of their senses! I mean, ya' see what happened to the guy at MIA who ran up and down the aisle shouting about having a gun or a bomb - HE'S DEAD! Obviously, shooting a gun inside a pressurized tube at 35,000' isn't possible. But my point is: How far does some IDIOT think he's gonna' get pulling a STUPID stunt like making a threat or trying to open a door inflight
You would think that the s who do this CRAP would understand that the doors WON'T open for one very good reason: EVERYBODY'S SAFETY!
As far as I'M concerned, the flight crew can get on the PA and make the following announcement prior to pushback:
"Look...get on the plane...take your stuff and STOW IT...SIT DOWN...SHUT UP...buckle your seatbelts and keep them buckled...leave the tray tables and seatbacks ALONE until we TELL you it's okay...and if you can't follow the rules, get the #E!! off the plane NOW before the air marshal takes you DOWN...OTHERWISE YOU'RE GOING TO FEDERAL PRISON OR THE LOONY BIN "
I'd feel a lot better if they'd put it in blunt terms!
FSPilot747 From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 3599 posts, RR: 14 Reply 8, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 4052 times:
My buddy was on that flight. Apparently took a lot of people + a marshall to hold the guy down.
In any case, you can't open the door in flight--physically impossible.
ATCGOD From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 658 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 3943 times:
Quoting FlyBoy84 (Reply 7): Obviously, shooting a gun inside a pressurized tube at 35,000' isn't possible.
Sure you can...and supposedly safely too. The bullets that air marshals fly with are supposed to disintegrate when they strike a solid surface.
Wdleiser From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 958 posts, RR: 4 Reply 10, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 3568 times:
I don't think its a big deal, the door cannot open, all he needs is a little ass kicking to calm him down.
HAL From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 2466 posts, RR: 53 Reply 12, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 2915 times:
Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 4): Well HAL, there are no places for you to divert 3 hours into a Hawaii flight anyway, so either way, your decision is made for you
You got that right!
Ahh, the joys of ETOPS flights.
HAL
One smooth landing is skill. Two in a row is luck. Three in a row and someone is lying.
Bmacleod From Canada, joined Aug 2001, 2081 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 2858 times:
Quoting Wdleiser (Reply 10): I don't think its a big deal, the door cannot open,
Unless you can secretly smuggle explosives onboard and attach them to the door of a 747 like the terrorists in "Drop Zone". Didn't then-actor Schwarzenegger do it in 1996 "Eraser?"
The engine is the heart of an airplane, but the pilot is its soul.
MCOflyer From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 8553 posts, RR: 14 Reply 14, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 2853 times:
I agree that the captain made the right decision. If they were 3.5hrs into the flight, you have to consider that duty time maybe affected. Anyways he wasn't a major threat. Kudos to the UA Captain.
Philhyde From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 674 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 2746 times:
Quoting LVICS (Reply 15): Why isn't it possible to open the door during the flight?
Because the door opens inward, which would be against the internal pressure. Impossible, well not mechanically, but rather with the strength of a human.
FlyBoy84 From United States of America, joined May 2005, 364 posts, RR: 5 Reply 17, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 2737 times:
Quoting ATCGOD (Reply 9): Sure you can...and supposedly safely too. The bullets that air marshals fly with are supposed to disintegrate when they strike a solid surface.
Then if the air marshal can get a clear shot...TAKE 'EM DOWN
Rammstein From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 18, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 2712 times:
Quoting Hiflyer (Thread starter): Airport police and FBI agents met the flight and were interviewing the passenger, said FBI spokeswoman Debbie Wierman.
The question is: why the passenger wanted to open the door? He wanted to go outside to smoke a sigarette?
LVICS From Argentina, joined Aug 2006, 84 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 2669 times:
Quoting Philhyde (Reply 16): Because the door opens inward, which would be against the internal pressure. Impossible, well not mechanically, but rather with the strength of a human.
Thanks for answering.
Now, I'll probably get into trouble (I mean, I'm afraid I'm making a fool of myself): never seen an aircraft door open inward, so I guess they go inward at first and after that they go outward. Is that correct?
RoseFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 8740 posts, RR: 52 Reply 20, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 2641 times:
While the door will not open and the cabin will not decompress in flight, it is possible that the person could do some damage. Yes the handle could brake, but if the unruly passenger starts kicking, they could at least damage the evacuation slide or do other damage that would not be good and could be dangerous.
If you have never designed an airplane part before, let the real designers do the work!
Antoniemey From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 1504 posts, RR: 4 Reply 21, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 2614 times:
Quoting LVICS (Reply 19): Now, I'll probably get into trouble (I mean, I'm afraid I'm making a fool of myself): never seen an aircraft door open inward, so I guess they go inward at first and after that they go outward. Is that correct?
On most aircraft doors when the handle is pulled the door at first drops inward, then either swings outward or slides up into the fuselage. I've opened enough (despite officially not being allowed) to know. (Yes, always on the ground, parked at the gate).
Make something Idiot-proof, and the Universe will make a more inept idiot.
Fxramper From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 7023 posts, RR: 93 Reply 23, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 2491 times:
The flight was lucky to have Air Marshalls on board.
Tod From Denmark, joined Aug 2004, 1682 posts, RR: 3 Reply 24, posted (6 years 8 months 1 week 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 2477 times:
Quoting Philhyde (Reply 16): I'd like to see this on mythbusters!
It would be pretty boring.
A plug type door isn't going anywhere while at altitude.
Tod
25 Traineepilot: Don't forget that the Captain or PIC is ultimately responsible for the flight. He didnt divert, so yes, in a way good, no disruption, but if after be
26 Philhyde: I disagree. Those guys would go to great lengths to show how much force would be required. Like the show where they welded an electric car motor to a
27 YYZYYT: I've always understood that too. But, here is a question. Do you all remember the accident in MIA when an AA FA was killed, while opening a door on a
28 SeeTheWorld: Here! Here! I agree. I took Fox and CNN to task for this in an email. I was on a UA SYD-SFO flight post-9/11 and we had a guy go nuts over Fiji. We v
29 Gyojoo: Hmm a quick question. would a person be able to kick a window out in flight?
30 SeeTheWorld: Correct me if I'm wrong, but even if a person had as many chances as they need (i.e. passengers not tackling them), I don't think they'd be able to k
31 Tod: But that can be done with a calculator. Squares inches of door x PSI of differental = force holding door closed (it has been calculated in other thre
32 HAWK21M: There are three panes.The Middle & outer ones take the load.To strike the Panes with ones foot accurately to shatter the Windows is not easy & Im sur
33 MarkHKG: My understanding is that unlike other aircraft, there is no pressure relief system on certain Airbus doors. Unfortunately, in this case, the crew mem
34 Tod: It doesn't take much of a pressure differential to make a huge difference. I've seen an engineer nearly blown out of an aircraft when he opened a car
35 HAWK21M: Which Type.Was it a Freighter. regds MEL
36 SK909: They should take bastard out in the backyard and shot him for being so stupid. Jeopardizing other people like that is simply too stupid. I hope he/she
37 BladeLWS: Yep, but I think in this day and age any fool that so much as touched the door would be bum rushed by half the passengers in like five seconds.
38 Tod: A300 in the process of being converted to a freighter by Flight Structures. Tod
39 HKA: 99% of the passengers probably don't know this !! so the public does get scared when someone tries to open the door in mid air.
40 SK909: Which is why the perpetrator should be punished hard. Period.
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From India, joined Jan 2001, 31201 posts, 
s who do this CRAP would understand that the doors WON'T open for one very good reason: EVERYBODY'S SAFETY!
"
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From Canada, joined Aug 2001, 2081 posts, 
From Argentina, joined Aug 2006, 84 posts, 
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