Drunk passenger tries to open emergency exit on flight, forcing plane to turn back

Man was subdued by fellow passengers

Air Europa's diverted flightpath (FlightRadar24)

A flight was forced to turn back to Spain after a drunk passenger became upset and attempted to open the emergency exit.

Air Europa flight UX89 was headed for Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and had got as far as Portugal when the pilot made the decision to return to Madrid.

The unnamed man lurched for the cabin door not long into the flight, reports expat Spanish newspaper The Olive Press.

“Visibly upset” and with a “strong smell of alcohol” according to witnesses, the man was subdued by fellow passengers, who managed to hold him until the aircraft landed back at Madrid-Barajas airport 40 minutes after first taking off from there.

The plane had to release a large amount of fuel in order to land while complying with weight limits.

The man was arrested by Spanish police as soon as the aircraft touched down.

Three hours later the flight took off again, according to tracking site Flightradar24, finally landing in Santo Domingo at 10.43pm.

An Air Europa spokesperson confirmed the incident to The Independent. They said: “The plane landed 40 minutes after the departure. It took off three hours later. Air Europa complied with its policies and we had a happy ending.”

Although frightening for fellow passengers, it is not possible to open the cabin doors while an aircraft is in flight – cabin pressure doesn’t allow it.

In addition, doors are further secured by a series of electrical and/or mechanical latches.

The incident follows a woman who opened the emergency exit on a Pakistan International Airlines aircraft while it was still on the runway, thinking it was the door to the toilet.

Flight PK702 from Manchester to Islamabad was all set for an on-time departure on 7 June, but was delayed by almost eight hours due to the passenger’s mistake.

The doors were “armed,” the mode in which the emergency evacuation slide is deployed as soon as a door is opened.

Even though the seatbelt signs were on, a female passenger decided to use the toilet. But she mistakenly opened door L5, at the rear of the aircraft on the left-hand side, rather than the adjacent toilet door.