Passenger attempts to open Alaska Airlines cabin door, restrained by crew.
Key Points
- 1Fellow passengers intervened and restrained the individual attempting to open the pressurized cabin door on an Alaska Airlines flight.
- 2The incident occurred mid-flight, requiring rapid response from travelers and crew to maintain aircraft safety and security.
- 3Post-incident, the passenger admitted to police that severe intoxication and hallucinations, resulting from nine days of continuous drinking, caused the erratic behavior.
An Alaska Airlines flight recently experienced a significant security incident when a passenger allegedly attempted to open a cabin door while the aircraft was at cruising altitude. According to court documents detailing the event, the erratic behavior immediately prompted intervention from fellow passengers, who successfully restrained the individual. The attempt to compromise the aircraft's integrity occurred mid-flight, necessitating immediate action by both travelers and the flight crew to ensure safety and security protocols were maintained.
Following the diversion and landing, law enforcement took the passenger into custody. While receiving medical attention at a local hospital, the individual reportedly made bizarre statements and rambled incoherently. A police officer later overheard the passenger admitting to a doctor that he had been consuming alcohol continuously for the past nine to ten days, leading to visual and auditory hallucinations. This admission suggests severe intoxication and potential underlying medical issues contributed to the dangerous in-flight behavior, which is now subject to federal investigation regarding interference with flight crew duties and attempted aircraft sabotage.
Topics
You Might Also Like
Discover more aviation news based on similar topics
Alaska Airlines passenger faces federal charges for attempting to open cabin door
Alaska Airlines confirmed that a passenger has been charged federally following an alleged attempt to open an aircraft door during flight.

Federal Charges Filed After Passenger Allegedly Tries to Open Alaska Airlines Door
Alaska Airlines passenger faced federal charges for allegedly trying to open a door mid-flight, highlighting the critical need for enhanced crew training
SFO Flight Chaos: Strong Winds and Security Scare Snarl Hundreds of Flights
FAA-mandated ground delays and a Terminal 1 evacuation at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) delayed over 400 flights amid strong winds.
Why is Cairo International Airport testing its emergency response readiness?
Cairo Airport Company successfully conducted a full-scale emergency response drill at Terminal 3 BHS, testing multi-agency readiness against ICAO standards to protect operations and
How Five Militants Hijacked Indian Airlines Airbus A300 Flight 814.
Indian Airlines Flight 814 was seized on December 24, 1999, forcing a week-long crisis that ended with India releasing three militants, leading to major
Why Do Airline Computer Systems Fail? Lessons from Recent IT System Failures.
Alaska Airlines' recent grounding due to an IT failure highlights the industry's struggle with fragile, complex airline computer systems that cause massive operational disruptions.
Never Miss Critical Aviation Updates
Get the top aviation stories delivered to your inbox every morning