Posted 2/21/2024, 3:28:00 PM
American Airlines Flight Forced to Turn Around After Passenger Tries Opening Emergency Exit
- American Airlines flight 1219 to Chicago forced to return to Albuquerque after a passenger tried to open an emergency exit door 20 minutes into the flight
- Multiple passengers intervened, pulling the man to the floor and restraining him with duct tape and flex cuffs
- The man had cracked open the exit door's protective window and pulled down the door handle, causing a change in cabin pressure
- Flight attendants and passengers restrained the disruptive passenger until the plane safely landed back in Albuquerque
- The incident is one of over 250 reports of unruly passenger behavior to the FAA so far this year amid a spike in disruptions during flights