Emergency Landing After Guy Tries to Open Door Mid-Flight

Alaska Airlines flight was diverted to Minnesota
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 30, 2016 11:44 AM CDT
Emergency Landing After Guy Tries to Open Door Mid-Flight
Alaska Airlines planes wait for takeoff, Monday, April 4, 2016, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle.   (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A plane en route from New York to Seattle had to make an emergency landing Monday so that an unruly passenger could be arrested, KOMO reports. Alaska Airlines Flight 7 was diverted to Minneapolis-St. Paul after a man in his 20s started acting strangely, other passengers tell KIRO. One passenger saw him take a pill of some sort out of his luggage, but she says he didn't cause any trouble until the flight attendants started taking drink orders. At that point, he said he needed "to cancel his flight and get off the plane and just was kind of speaking a little gibberish," she says. Ultimately, crew members say, he tried to open one of the plane's doors—fortunately, a physically impossible feat when the plane is in flight.

"The air marshals were there quick," says another passenger. "The flight attendants were sort of surrounding him and I felt more sorry for him than anything." Passengers were told there had been a medical emergency and the plane had to be diverted. "I think someone may have been a little bit stressed out about flying and took too much medication, honestly," says the first passenger. Police questioned the passenger and took him to a Minnesota hospital after it was determined that he was a danger to himself; it's not clear if he will face any criminal charges. No injuries were reported, and the flight was delayed about two hours, the Pioneer Press reports. (More airplane stories.)

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