Man tries to open door mid-flight

AAP

August 26, 2009 07:35am

QANTAS staff had to subdue a man who tried to open the door of a flight making its descent into Sydney airport early this morning.

A witness said the man, who was clearly agitated, had been trying to stand up and move around the plane for about ten minutes during the descent.

Staff managed to reseat the man before landing.

"The man, who was a big guy, stood up again and made a move for the middle door in the economy section," the fellow passenger on the QF2 flight from London via Bangkok said.

"He grabbed the handle but Qantas staff were able to restrain him.''

Continued http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0...499-953,00.html

Wow, this is terrible, Its a good job the staff managed to stop him.

He can try all he wants, but it's impossible to open in flight due to air pressure differences.

But the plane was going down to land..... surely the doors must open easily in case of accident ?

If they don't open, whats the use of them.

But the plane was going down to land..... surely the doors must open easily in case of accident ?

If they don't open, whats the use of them.

On the ground, once the pressure equalizes they can be opened, but until then the higher pressure inside pushes out on these inward opening doors.

Well I hope this guy gets a large Fine for doing this, there were Children on the flight scared.

I wonder if he had been drinking. Its a wierd thing to do.

Hello, this crazy man is lucky he was not hurt or killed by the passengers. I for one would not sit for anyone making a move for an outside door in an airplane in the air.

But the plane was going down to land..... surely the doors must open easily in case of accident ?

If they don't open, whats the use of them.

On the ground, once the pressure equalizes they can be opened, but until then the higher pressure inside pushes out on these inward opening doors.

Certainly the reason why the staff did not use too much force to restrain an already agitated passenger.

lucky for them it was quatas and not thai airways

No mai pen laiiiiiiiiiiiii, buddah's will!

But the plane was going down to land..... surely the doors must open easily in case of accident ?

If they don't open, whats the use of them.

On the ground, once the pressure equalizes they can be opened, but until then the higher pressure inside pushes out on these inward opening doors.

Then how do you epxlain a guy like DB Hooper who jumped out of a jet after robbing it?

I've flown Qantas a few times and I can empathize with him. Mind you, those 200lb flying waitress Sheila's they have on quaint arse shouldn't have had too much trouble restraining him. I bet the stewards were in a real flap though.

Then how do you epxlain a guy like DB Hooper who jumped out of a jet after robbing it?

"Cooper then ordered Scott to leave the cabin unpressurized. An unpressurized cabin at 10,000 feet (3,000 m) would curtail the risk of a sudden rush of air exiting the plane (and ease the opening of the pressure door) if he were to attempt to exit the aircraft for a subsequent parachute landing"

WiKi

Then how do you epxlain a guy like DB Hooper who jumped out of a jet after robbing it?

The earlier 727s had a rear stair that could be lowered, unlike the doors on most aircraft which have to be pulled inward to open them. That "feature" of the 727's rear stairs like the ones Cooper jumped from was soon after removed. Had he been able to jump out a side door in flight he would likely have wound up in an engine, or at least parts of him would.

maybe the big guy was just hungry ...........

Hopefully someone has opened and closed the door on the lunatic assylum where he belongs.

sh*t head guy

What a terrible flight to be on. First you get a little bit of a scare from the guy trying to open the door, then you have to wait for him to be taken off before you can disembark.

"Passengers were asked to remain in their seats for another 20 minutes before being allowed to begin to disembark. "

I wonder what will happen to him. Will he just get a telling off, or have to go to Court ?

If anyone finds out, please let us know.

Then how do you epxlain a guy like DB Hooper who jumped out of a jet after robbing it?

"Cooper then ordered Scott to leave the cabin unpressurized. An unpressurized cabin at 10,000 feet (3,000 m) would curtail the risk of a sudden rush of air exiting the plane (and ease the opening of the pressure door) if he were to attempt to exit the aircraft for a subsequent parachute landing"

WiKi

Was this the same DB Cooper/ Charles Westmoreland that was portrayed in Prison Break the TV series?

According to the Sydney Morning Herald report the guy was released without charge into the custody of medical professionals.

Pity he did'nt fall out of the plane. Clown

Is Quantas' in-flight service that bad?? He just had to get out!!

These doors have a selector switch on which the attendants put to auto before take-off, and to manual when landed.

I always thought that to open the handle in flight you had to reselect the manual switch position.

Its behind a flap.

Doesn't the door open outward so as not to be in the way of passengers getting out.

These doors have a selector switch on which the attendants put to auto before take-off, and to manual when landed.

I always thought that to open the handle in flight you had to reselect the manual switch position.

Its behind a flap.

Doesn't the door open outward so as not to be in the way of passengers getting out.

Yes they do open outward but in a special way.

They must first be pulled forward twisted slightly so the door exits the frame on the outside.

Next time you fly try and watch as they close the doors or open them.

Pity he did'nt fall out of the plane. Clown

If he had fallen out of the plane by opening the door, So would most if not all of the passengers.

QF2. That would have originated in London. Maybe the guy took the test match result far too seriously.

Is Quantas' in-flight service that bad?? He just had to get out!!

Perhaps he had a tight-connection in Sydney, and wanted to be first in the queue, to disembark ?

Hi,

the entry doors are translating plug type doors. They actually move inwards and upwards when opening.

On the take off the aircraft starts to pressurise and at a certain speed the door flightlocks engage to prevent opening. Attached to each door handle is a vent panel to prevent unsafe pressurisation. On take off the door handle can still be moved slightly but the action of moving it only opens the vent panel slightly.

Once the pressure gets to about 2.5 PSI you would not be able to open the door, regardless of the flight locks being engaged.

Rgds.

Man, was the in-flight service that bad?

Is Quantas' in-flight service that bad?? He just had to get out!!

Hey, you beat me to the punch....LOL