Published 18:30 IST, November 9th 2019
Drunk passenger creates panic after ripping plane door off its hinges
A drunk passenger reportedly created a panic amongst passengers after he ripped a plane door off its hinges just minutes before take-off
A drunk passenger reportedly created a panic amongst passengers after he ripped a plane door off its hinges just minutes before take-off. According to international media reports the unidentified man rushed towards the wing of the plane and pulled the emergency door off causing the inflatable slide to deploy. The incident took place at the Chiang Mai International Airport, northern Thailand on November 7. The man has been reportedly detained in custody and the airport officials are reported to be investigating.
Flight WE169 was heading to Bangkok and was due to depart at 3:40 pm but was eventually delayed. A spokesperson for airline Thai Smile told an international media outlet that the man had caused approximately $19,000 in damage. The incident happened on an Airbus A320 with 86 passengers on it. The shocked passengers were screaming when the airport security staff pinned the 'blonde-haired' man to the ground. The man was later reported to be a foreigner who was pictured wearing jeans, blue shirt, and white trainers after having his hand and feet cuffed inside the airport.
Similar incidents
In a similar incident, a flight that had taken off from Moscow and was on its way to Phuket saw three strange incidents of passengers creating a nuisance on board. The first episode saw a drunk man attempt to open the door of the flight while it was 33,000 feet above the ground. The passengers who were visibly frightened by the drunk man's actions intervened and helped the cabin crew keep him under control. The second episode had two drunk men getting into a quarrel and in the third one, a man went to the toilet and smoked. The Nordwind flight is a strictly a no-smoking flight.
In another case, two drunk men had a row and the crew had to get in between to control both of them. After some time, a third passenger was caught smoking in the toilet of the Boeing 777. In the recorded footage by the Demidova, she narrates while recording "And this man was smoking in the plane’s toilet. The stewardesses are sorting it out right now". After the plane landed in Phuket after a long eventful journey, these three men were handed over to the police of Thailand for their actions.
Updated 21:00 IST, November 9th 2019