Thomson Airlines Passenger Tries To Open Plane's Door Mid-Air

An un-identified 22-year-old passenger had to be subdued on a Thomson Airlines flight from Majorca to Newcastle when he tried to open the plane's emergency doors at 36,000 feet, roughly 45 minutes into the flight.

The man had to be restrained by flight attendants and passengers after he screamed he was "on a flight simulator", the Daily Mail reports.

According to an unidentified passenger, the man's friends tried to pull him away from the door, but he started punching his friends. The pilot then diverted the plane to Gatwick, while crew and passengers alike tied him down with eight seatbelts.

The passenger added, "Suddenly all the lights came on and all the air hostesses were shouting and we could see a lad trying to open the emergency door. The plane started shaking. I thought it was going down."

Dan Alberts, a 20-year-old passenger told the Daily Mail: "We just heard a big bang and then he started going for the door. I wasn't scared. I have never seen in-flight entertainment like it. But one of the girls I was with started having a panic attack and there were quite a few people crying. There were a lot of kids on the plane screaming their heads off."

Police came aboard the plane once it landed, immediately arresting the man. The passengers were able to continue on to Newcastle after the plane refueled.

There have been quite a number of incidents of passengers trying to open plane's doors mid-air. In January 2010, Las Vegas-bound United flight had to be diverted to Denver after a passenger tried to open a door. In April 2010, a Delta passenger sprayed the first-class cabin with a water bottle and tried to open a cabin door on a flight from Los Angeles to Tampa. In May of this year, an off-duty cop had to subdue a Delta passenger who tried to open a door on a Boston-bound Delta flight. Later that same month, a Continental passenger had to be subdued by fellow fliers after he tried to open a cabin door in an attempt to commit suicide.

Photo: Flickr: Andrea Graziadio