KLM Passenger tries to open door in flight

[Speedbird435]

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- A passenger on board a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Newark spat on a flight attendant, threatened passengers with a cane and tried to open the emergency exit while in flight, an official said Thursday.

The 28-year-old Dutchman, who KLM spokesman Hugo Baas described as "clearly unstable," ignored orders from flight crew to turn off his mobile phone.

He ripped up his passport and said he would hit passengers and flight attendants. He then took a seat in business class, claiming he suffered from claustrophobia.

"At 37,000 feet he decided it was time to go and tried to open the emergency exit," Baas said. However, due to the cabin pressure, it was impossible to open the aircraft's emergency door.

Eventually, the man was handcuffed by the captain and guarded by two passengers for the rest of the flight, Baas said.

Upon arrival in the United States, the man was put on the next flight back to the Netherlands under the supervision of two private security guards.

He was arrested at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport and will face charges of attempting to endanger the lives of passengers, the spokesman said.

[PaperTiger]

...attempting to endanger...

What kind of legalspeak is that ?
A good lawyer will probably get him probation faced with such wimpy charges.

[f40]

:mad: Never mind a good lawyer; with the Dutch legal system's lenient view on air-rage, and the snail's pace at which these cases get processed, the only thing this bloke has to fear is being molly-coddled to death. :mad:



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Singularly Simple Person........

[Capn Lucky]

Why didn't they just leave him to the Newark authorities? I'm certain that this would have been a less pleasant option for the jerk. He would have loved his room mates, Carlos and Bubba.

[static]

Exactly my thoughts.
Why take the risk of flying him to AMS again?
Maybe the us immigration had something to do with that, but being Dutch myself, I would rather leave him to the US judiciary system.

[SaturnV]

See the long story in to day's Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/131/business/More_than_a_little_turbulence+.shtml

Quite often, the U.S. airport of choice for unruly or air rage passengers on trans-atlantic flights is Bangor, Maine. A diversion there costs time and fuel, but helps underscore the seriousness of the situation. Newark or New York have a much heavier legal docket, and, because of the press of other cases, prosecutors might be more willing to plea bargain to something with minor penalties. You might see a more vigorous prosecution in Bangor.

[Spoonbill]

:mad: I know that hindsight is a wonderful thing, and that I wasnt there, but it beats me how some of these folk get past check - in.
Diverging slightly, I was travelling back from Amsterdam a month ago, (full fare), and I was seated next to a man who was so drunk he could barely stand, never mind speak. I objected to his presence on board the aircraft on safety grounds, and was told that as the aircraft was full, I could disembark if I wished and catch the next flight. When I pointed out to the cabin crew that the drunk would hamper any evacuation, and his very presence on the aircraft was probably a breach of the ANO, they called the captain who said it was his decision who flew on the aircraft, not mine.
It transpired that the drunk had been turned away from one flight already, but was subsequently considered "peaceful" enough to fly.
I took the option of the next flight, and made a formal complaint to the airline and the Dutch CAA, neither of whom have had the courtesy to respond further.
Fortunately, these incidents are relatively rare, but it's little wonder that they seem to be on the increase with such attitudes.

[I. M. Esperto]

Anyone who leaves AMS for EWR has got to be nuts.

[PaperTiger]

If I had been on that flight and decked this idiot when he made his move towards the door, guess who would be facing the more serious charges ?

(sounds of blood boiling)

[bboy]

"Couldnt open the door due to the Cabin Pressure"......

I thought if anything, the Cabin pressure would assist in opening the door.

Anyway, what happens if you turn the handle? Will it open? or is there a device to prevent this?

[OldAg84]

How difficult would it be to remove a row of seat and place a pressurized tube- I'm seeing a sort of torpedo tube, but help me here-I'm not that technical... and ejecting unruly passengers over the North Atlantic or North Dakota (no offense to North Dakotans meant). "Yes sir, we understand you deserve a first class seat.... right here is our new sleeper seat"... whooosh!

[Bellthorpe]

bboy, are you sure you're a pilot? The internal air pressure keeps the door, which is a plug, closed

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Craig

[OzPax1]

OldAg84

You read my mind mate. I was thiking much the same thing! :) :)

OzPax1 http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/cool.gif

[fart]

You will have to be Hercules yourself to try and open the door in the first place , and even then it would be impossible!!

Let us assume for a minute the prssurization system can blow the cabin up to 8 PSI (pounds per square inch)and the size of the door is 1,2 m x 1 m) - I am only guessing here about the size of the door, but purely for demonstration purposes. The are of the door in inches is roughly (1,2 x 3,2ft x 12 inches x 1 m x 3,2 x 12 inches) this is (47,244 x 39,37 = 1860 square inches. The cabin prssure we said is equal to 8 pounds per square inch and the door area is 1860 sqaure inches. So the weight of the door is 1860 x 8 = 14 880 pounds This shows that you have to be stronger than Rambo to unplug that door !
Hope this helps!
Chers
Fart