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Woman tries to open door during flight...

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YourNameHere

REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT
Joined
Feb 18, 2005
Posts
99
SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- A woman was arrested Wednesday for attempting to open an airplane exit door while the plane was still in the air, police said.

The 52-year-old woman from Dania Beach, Florida, left her seat and tried to open the door as the United Airlines flight was descending into Seattle to land, police said. The plane was at an altitude of about 4,000 feet at the time.

She failed but "did manage to turn the handle far enough that a warning light went on in the cockpit," Seattle-Tacoma International Airport spokesman Bob Parker told KING-TV.

A flight attendant persuaded the woman to sit back down, but nobody physically restrained her. Parker said the other passengers stayed belted in their seats in case she did manage to open the door.

The woman was arrested for investigation of malicious mischief when the plane landed. Police were investigating whether alcohol and prescription medication were involved.

A United spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment late Wednesday.

www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/04/plane.door.ap/index.html
 
Hey, if I was sitting where I could see her trying to do it, she'd probably would have been taken off on a stretcher. Old lady or not.
 
Metro752 said:
Hey, if I was sitting where I could see her trying to do it, she'd probably would have been taken off on a stretcher. Old lady or not.
That would have been funny...seeing you and her getting sucked out while I finished my Vodka and Tonic, safely seatbelted in my seat.
 
so nobody was going to try and stop her BEFORE she tried to open it? Most doors to airliners are pretty near some seats. I can't believe no one reached out and grabbed her and threw her away from the door.
 
isnt there some sort of safety device that prevents the door from being opened in flight? how does any pressurization, albeit at 4,000, affect the opening ofthe door.
 
Hipster Loser said:
isnt there some sort of safety device that prevents the door from being opened in flight? how does any pressurization, albeit at 4,000, affect the opening ofthe door.

Yeah, its called 2.0psi. On a 737 entry door at 2 psi approximately 2500 pounds of force would be required to open it.
 
Any pressurization whatsoever would prevent the door from being opened. Most airplanes keep a small differential right up until landing to prevent rapid pressure increases during descent.

KSEA field elevation is 433' ASL. The airplane's cabin was probably close to that already, so it's cabin differential was around two pounds per square inch.

Let's say the main door is six feet high and three feet wide, or 72 inches by 36 inches, for a total of 2592 square inches. At a cabin differential of 2 psi, that works out to a force of 5184 pounds keeping the door closed!

To be fair, most doors have a small flap that opens when the handle is swung, relieving any residual pressure. The door can't be lifted off its mounting lugs though, unless all pressure is relieved, which would mean waiting for the entire cabin to depressurize through the flap.
 
Flying Illini said:
I can't believe no one reached out and grabbed her and threw her away from the door.
Haven't you watched Court TV and the other women's cable channels like Lifetime network? Men are evil and if they lift a hand to prevent women from doing something stupid, they shall be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
 
Flying Illini said:
so nobody was going to try and stop her BEFORE she tried to open it? Most doors to airliners are pretty near some seats. I can't believe no one reached out and grabbed her and threw her away from the door.

Re-read the lack of information news article. The FA pursuaded her to sit down. Hence the threat was over.

Now, most of you, like Metro752, need Hollywood style, shoot-first-ask-questions.....maybe later, smackdown, instant gratifiacation, I am the hero, type results....

Like the Air France FA's in YYZ, this FA proved her worth and she did it without physical confrontation or violence. Wow....maybe women do bring something to the table....
 

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