Passengers duct tape man who allegedly tried to open door during American Airlines flight to Texas
Passengers duct tape man who allegedly tried to open door during American Airlines flight to Texas
The passenger allegedly told a flight attendant about “wanting and needing to exit the aircraft now,” then jumped on her, injuring her neck and wrist, authorities said in a report.
Summary
Passengers on an American Airlines flight from Milwaukee to Dallas-Fort Worth restrained a Canadian man with duct tape after he allegedly attempted to open a cabin door mid-flight, claiming he was the “captain” and needed to exit.
The man became aggressive, injuring a flight attendant as he rushed toward the door.
Several passengers, including Doug McCright and Charlie Boris, subdued him, using duct tape to secure his hands and ankles.
Authorities detained the man upon landing, and the incident remains under investigation.
The passenger was seen lying on his stomach with his hands behind his back bound as well as his ankles with duct tape, the report said.
So for future reference, especially for those of you who do such things recreationally, facedown restraint is very risky from a respiratory standpoint, especially with the limbs back in the hogtie position, that is how the cops kill people (I would say accidentally except they have enough education on the topic to preclude that). But ultimately I'm mostly just glad they kept him from opening the plane. That's the obvious first priority there. Damn.
But ultimately I'm mostly just glad they kept him from opening the plane. That's the obvious first priority there. Damn.
It’s physically impossible to open a door on an airplane during most stages of the flight. The door first needs to move inward before opening, and the pressure differential is absurd. The handle would break long before you’d open the door. The only time it’s really possible is near the ground as you’re coming in to land or taking off (which did happen recently).
Boeing aircraft have this safety feature where it fucking immediately falls off so you can always get out if you are the Captain and need to escape from the bad duct tape wielders.
That's not true on every plane.
Typically for doors that don't open inward first, they have interlocks.
For example, the over wing doors on a 737ng don't open inward, they are actually spring loaded on a hinge and swing directly outward, there is a locking pawl that engages and disengages automatically under specific circumstances, requiring the squat switches on the landing gear to be engaged and the throttles to be in an idle position.
Opening the door during flight is attempted murder of everyone on board, fuck him. I hope it was hard to breathe the whole time and they put him in a nice padded cell for a while.
Considering he was claiming to be the captain and trying to get off the plane it seems highly likely he was having some kind of mental breakdown. He needs proper medical care and a psychological evaluation, not summary execution. Yes he was a danger to himself and others, but that doesn't mean he's guilty of attempted murder. A padded room might be appropriate depending on the psych evaluation, but wishing suffering on him without knowing the full situation is too much.
I mean, it's an attempt, but it's in no way possible to actually do. That's thousands of pounds of pressure on that door. I'd bet on the handle breaking off before the door opens mid-flight.
Toothbrush
Headphones
Neck pillow
DUCT TAPE.
I need my tools!
I understand the need to neutralize the threat but duct taping someone to Texas is just cruel
Truly a punishment that doesn’t fit the crime.
Assuming it wasn't a Boeing, he wouldn't have been able to get the door open, so at least they weren't in any real danger.
Well, not from the door opening, you are right (pressure difference and such). But he already injured a flight attendant, so I guess he wasn't going to say "oh well it doesn't open, I tried, I'll sit down quietly now".
Tbf, being with a violently aggressive person in a tight enclosed space is still risky regardless
That depends on where in the flight he tried to open the door. The article says mid flight but that could mean anything.
Above 10,000 ft he wouldn't be able to open the door because of the pressure difference but below that and he would have no problems since the cabin isn't pressurized and the doors aren't locked with any key or anything.
A319
If you are talking about this, the plane was landing. When it is at cruising altitude, cabin pressure makes that impossible.
Why is duct tape easily available on the airplanes then normal rope to tie? Are the airplanes required to use the duct tape in an emergency case?
2 things
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when it's an airplane we call it speed tape and its used all over the aircraft, mostly by maintenance, to keep the plane together. Don't worry about it.
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This probably wasn't duct tape anyway, but special tape for passenger restraint, similar to zip ties, that is stored on board for use in this type of situation
There is duct tape carried on some commercial airliners.
This is not the same as speed tape, and aluminum tape is not generally carried on airliners. That stays with the mechanics.
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Duct tape is used on airplanes all the time, so it's readily available & multi-purpose. While it looks super sketchy, it's actually pretty decent for a temporary fix until a proper repair can be implemented. Sometimes they're criticized for leaving the temporary duct tape fixes on far too long. 🙃🙃🙃🙃
It's 100% true. Nothin more permanent than a temporary fix
It makes sense because the tape is more versatile, and because practically nobody knows how to tie good knots.
Something tells me he was not the captain. But I'll wait for all the facts to come out before I rush to judgement.
They duct taped him TO TEXAS?!?
There was a CSI episode with a situation similar to this. Of course, since it's CSI, the way that turned out was the mentally ill person was killed (and the episode was about the passengers/crew subtly covering for each other).
Nice case of how in real life, people avoid harm when possible, and in fiction, people are all secretly ruthless savages out for each other's blood.
Oh; I should say, in fiction, and for police, who similarly live in fiction-land.
Duct taped to the whole of the state?
Duct tape fixes everything
Reminds me of a certain Airforceproud95 video.
In a Boeing, right?
Who flies with duct tape?