Flight diverted due to passenger trying to open cabin door mid flight

An All-Nippon Airways flight was forced to divert to Seattle (SEA/KSEA) in Washington on Saturday after an unruly passenger tried to open an emergency door mid-air and threatened to kill everyone onboard. The flight was traveling from Japan's Tokyo (HND / RJTT) was bound for Houston (IAH/KIAH), Iin Texas.

Authorities at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport told local media that a male passenger, whose identity hasn't been revealed, jumped for the door handle and attempted to open the plane's emergency exit. Fellow passengers and flight crew quickly intervened, pulling him back and restraining him on the cabin floor. The passenger created panic mid-air just over three hours before the flight's scheduled landing in Houston. Reports say most passengers were asleep when the incident took place.

The pilot successfully diverted the plane within 45 minutes, 9-hours into the 12-hour journey. After the plane safely landed in Seattle, the police boarded the aircraft and discovered that the accused was having a medical emergency.

“The guy was sitting behind me directly…he actually got up out his seat and crawled over the people that were sitting next to him, and he got up in a hurry, so I just assumed he was going to be sick,” a startled female passenger told the media. The woman, who recorded the man getting restrained, said two veterans jumped into action when panic erupted.

“They brought him back to the seat and they actually sat him down and zip-tied him to the seats,” she added, noting that the roughly 12-hour flight had only about four hours left when it was rerouted.

He was immediately taken to the hospital for evaluation, while the flight departed and landed in Houston without further disruption with a delay of four hours. As of now, no charges have been filed against the accused, whose identity and health condition remain unknown.

Aircraft Information

Airline: All Nippon

Code: NH/ANA

Aircraft: Boeing 787-9

Registration: JA934A

Serial Number: 43868

Engines: 2 x RR Trent 1000

First Flew: 10/08/2020

Age: 4.8 Years