American Airlines Passenger Tries To Open Door Mid-Flight

Flight 1219 from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Chicago, Illinois, was forced to return to New Mexico shortly after taking off because of a disruptive passenger. The incident occurred around 20 minutes into the flight.

An American Airlines spokesperson told CNN that the plane “returned to ABQ shortly after takeoff due to a disturbance in the cabin involving a disruptive customer. The flight landed safely and the aircraft was met by local law enforcement upon arrival.”

Airline staff and passengers tackled the man, duct-taped him, and forcefully restrained him until the plane could land safely back in Albuquerque, reported ABC7 Chicago. The news channel spoke to a passenger named Blaze Ward, who helped secure the man.

30 minutes after departing Albuquerque I was shaken out of my Panda Express and Tequila induced stupor by a man trying to aggressively open the airplane door 4 rows back. Me and 5 other dudes had to wrestle him into the aisle, duct tape his legs, and throw flexi-cuffs on him.… pic.twitter.com/zkrtEveYgQ

— The Wonton Don (@DonnieDoesWorld) February 20, 2024

Ward said that the man already had the safety mechanism down and had both hands on the door’s level like he was “yanking it.” He called him a “big dude and he had it pretty well pulled.” He said there was a difference in pressure and a whistling within the plane at the time of the incident.

According to a spokesperson for Albuquerque International Sunport, the plane landed back at the airport at 2:45 p.m. The FAA and the FBI are both investigating the case.

Incidents regarding passenger disruption of flights appear to be on the rise. Unruly passenger incidents rose 37% globally between 2021 and 2022, even as pandemic-related restrictions faded, according to recent data released by the International Air Transport Association, an airline trade group.

The data shows that the most common incidents during flights are non-compliance. Verbal abuse and intoxication come in second and third. While physical abuse incidents do occur, they are rare. The data shows that they happen once in every 17,200 flights.

Conrad Clifford, IATA’s Deputy Director General, said in a statement regarding the rise of these incidents, “No one wants to stop people having a good time when they go on holiday—but we all have a responsibility to behave with respect for other passengers and the crew.”

He added that for the sake of other passengers, the IATA makes “no apology” for cracking down on the bad behavior of a small number of travelers who can make a flight uncomfortable for everyone on board.