Southwest passenger tries to open plane door mid-air and is restrained, feds say
An Ohio woman is facing federal charges after officials say she tried to open an airplane door while still in the air.
On May 22, the woman was aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Nashville to Phoenix, according to a criminal complaint.
While on board, the woman, who was sitting in the last row of the plane, told a flight attendant she wanted to get off the plane and was going to use the back door to exit, the complaint said.
The flight attendant had to physically block the woman from opening the door, court records said.
The woman began screaming that she was going to get off the plane, according to the complaint. Other crew members and two retired correctional officers who were onboard as passengers intervened to restrain the woman, the court document said.
As they held her back, she kicked and spit on several flight attendants, the complaint said.
The woman kept fighting the crew members and broke her wrist restraints, according to the complaint. The retired correctional officers had to hold her down to stop her attacks on the flight attendants, the complaint said.
After the captain was alerted to what was happening, he made the decision to divert the plane to Oklahoma City.
Officers had to carry the woman off the plane because she was still struggling and screaming, the complaint said. She told authorities she was aware the plane was in the air and said if flight attendants weren’t there to stop her she would have exited the plane, according to the court document.
The woman is charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants. If convicted, she faces 20 years in prison. Her attorney declined McClatchy News’ request for comment.
