You won’t believe why a woman tried to open a plane door at 33,000 feet
- Replies 15
A frightening incident unfolded mid-flight on a Jetstar plane, leaving passengers and crew shaken.
What began as a routine flight soon turned into a tense situation as an unexpected event sent shockwaves through the cabin.
The aftermath left many wondering what could have happened had the situation not been swiftly managed.
A terrifying mid-flight incident left passengers on a Jetstar plane in shock when a passenger attempted to open the cabin door while the aircraft was cruising at 33,000 feet.
Brooke Jowett, a Survivor All Star alum, was on flight JQ-34, which was heading from Bali to Melbourne, when the frightening event occurred.
The flight, which left around 8:40 pm local time, had over 200 passengers on board.
Approximately two hours into the flight, the situation turned alarming when a female passenger pulled down the door release lever, triggering an alarm that immediately alerted the crew.
In response, the crew quickly intervened and managed to stop the woman with the help of an off-duty policeman who was onboard.
'We got back to a hotel at about 1am after our lovely night, and our scare on the flight,' Jowett said in an online post.
'Turns out the reason behind the lady wanting to open the door is because she wanted to sit in a different row and have a chair that could recline.'
Jowett continued: 'So she decided to try to open the doors, which apparently triggered something to do with the emergency slide and yeah, it was a big bloody big panic, it was very, very scary but we're fine.'
She had been flying back from Bali with her fiancé Chris Cavanagh and their young daughter when the unsettling event unfolded.
Jowett explained that the woman had been arguing with the Jetstar staff about her seat, which led to the situation escalating quickly.
'She was very unhappy and decided she wanted to get off, but we were more than an hour into the flight over the ocean and, yeah, we all got told to put our seatbelts on immediately. Very freaky,' she said.
As the tension rose, an off-duty police officer seated nearby intervened.
'One of the guys who was sitting in front of us was down near the toilets and he pulled her away from the door as she was trying to open it.'
According to Jowett, the officer saved the day: 'He was an off-duty police officer apparently, so he saved the day. Thank God for that.'
While the frightening incident was contained quickly, Jowett was left questioning what might have happened without the intervention.
'But yeah, don't know what would have happened otherwise. I know there's a few security measures, but it wasn't fun,' she added.
The Jetstar flight was turned around and returned to Denpasar Airport, where the passenger was removed from the plane and taken into custody by local authorities.
A Jetstar spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating: 'We had an aircraft return to Denpasar last night after a disruptive passenger attempted to open one of the aircraft doors and was abusive to our crew.'
The spokesperson assured: 'The safety and welfare of our customers and crew is our top priority and we thank them for the way they responded to the situation. This sort of unacceptable behaviour will never be tolerated on our flights.'
After landing back in Bali, shaken passengers were provided with alternative flights, and the flight was ultimately cancelled.
Dr David Birch, a Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at Surrey University, explained that the pressure difference at cruising altitude makes it almost impossible to open a cabin door.
'The pressure-lock only really starts to work at higher altitudes,' he told the BBC.
He added that the force needed to open a door at such an altitude far exceeds what a person can manage.
The door mechanisms are also ‘armed’ while the plane is in the air, requiring disarming by the pilot to open.
In a previous story, we explored the survival chances in extreme aviation emergencies.
Understanding the risks and safety protocols can help us better prepare for unexpected situations.
To learn more about how to increase your chances in a plane crash, continue reading the full details in the linked article.
With such a shocking turn of events mid-flight, what do you think could have happened if the situation hadn't been handled so quickly? Share your thoughts in the comments!
What began as a routine flight soon turned into a tense situation as an unexpected event sent shockwaves through the cabin.
The aftermath left many wondering what could have happened had the situation not been swiftly managed.
A terrifying mid-flight incident left passengers on a Jetstar plane in shock when a passenger attempted to open the cabin door while the aircraft was cruising at 33,000 feet.
Brooke Jowett, a Survivor All Star alum, was on flight JQ-34, which was heading from Bali to Melbourne, when the frightening event occurred.
The flight, which left around 8:40 pm local time, had over 200 passengers on board.
Approximately two hours into the flight, the situation turned alarming when a female passenger pulled down the door release lever, triggering an alarm that immediately alerted the crew.
In response, the crew quickly intervened and managed to stop the woman with the help of an off-duty policeman who was onboard.
'We got back to a hotel at about 1am after our lovely night, and our scare on the flight,' Jowett said in an online post.
'Turns out the reason behind the lady wanting to open the door is because she wanted to sit in a different row and have a chair that could recline.'
Jowett continued: 'So she decided to try to open the doors, which apparently triggered something to do with the emergency slide and yeah, it was a big bloody big panic, it was very, very scary but we're fine.'
She had been flying back from Bali with her fiancé Chris Cavanagh and their young daughter when the unsettling event unfolded.
Jowett explained that the woman had been arguing with the Jetstar staff about her seat, which led to the situation escalating quickly.
'She was very unhappy and decided she wanted to get off, but we were more than an hour into the flight over the ocean and, yeah, we all got told to put our seatbelts on immediately. Very freaky,' she said.
As the tension rose, an off-duty police officer seated nearby intervened.
'One of the guys who was sitting in front of us was down near the toilets and he pulled her away from the door as she was trying to open it.'
According to Jowett, the officer saved the day: 'He was an off-duty police officer apparently, so he saved the day. Thank God for that.'
While the frightening incident was contained quickly, Jowett was left questioning what might have happened without the intervention.
'But yeah, don't know what would have happened otherwise. I know there's a few security measures, but it wasn't fun,' she added.
The Jetstar flight was turned around and returned to Denpasar Airport, where the passenger was removed from the plane and taken into custody by local authorities.
A Jetstar spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating: 'We had an aircraft return to Denpasar last night after a disruptive passenger attempted to open one of the aircraft doors and was abusive to our crew.'
The spokesperson assured: 'The safety and welfare of our customers and crew is our top priority and we thank them for the way they responded to the situation. This sort of unacceptable behaviour will never be tolerated on our flights.'
After landing back in Bali, shaken passengers were provided with alternative flights, and the flight was ultimately cancelled.
Dr David Birch, a Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at Surrey University, explained that the pressure difference at cruising altitude makes it almost impossible to open a cabin door.
'The pressure-lock only really starts to work at higher altitudes,' he told the BBC.
He added that the force needed to open a door at such an altitude far exceeds what a person can manage.
The door mechanisms are also ‘armed’ while the plane is in the air, requiring disarming by the pilot to open.
In a previous story, we explored the survival chances in extreme aviation emergencies.
Understanding the risks and safety protocols can help us better prepare for unexpected situations.
To learn more about how to increase your chances in a plane crash, continue reading the full details in the linked article.
With such a shocking turn of events mid-flight, what do you think could have happened if the situation hadn't been handled so quickly? Share your thoughts in the comments!
.png){kind=icon}
