During a flight from Madrid to Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, a passenger caused panic by attempting to open the emergency exit door on a wide-body Airbus A330. The incident occurred on 2nd March during a scheduled flight operated by the Spanish airline Plus Ultra.
A dramatic video capturing the passengers’ terrifying moments showed cabin crew and several passengers restraining the man and pulling him away from the door. Thanks to the quick intervention of the cabin crew and volunteer passengers, no injuries were reported, and the aircraft landed in Caracas ahead of schedule.
The reason behind the incident remains unknown, but experts suggest that the likelihood of opening the door mid-flight is virtually zero. Modern aircraft, including the Airbus A330, automatically lock their doors at altitudes above 10,000 feet due to the difference in cabin and external pressure. This mechanism makes it impossible to open the emergency exit door during cruising altitude.
However, at lower altitudes, opening the doors may be possible. In 2023, a passenger on an Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 successfully opened an emergency exit door during landing. Similarly, towards the end of last year, a passenger on a Korean Air flight from Bangkok to Seoul attempted to open an emergency exit door at 37,000 feet but was subdued by cabin crew.
A chaotic situation on board a Plus Ultra flight 701 took place when a passenger tried to open the plane’s door mid-flight between Madrid, Spain and Maiquetía, Venezuela on March 1, 2025.
The rapid intervention of the crew, supported by other passengers, managed to stop the… pic.twitter.com/UyZ0rjjCLt
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) March 3, 2025
© AeroHaber.com / Mevlüt Zor
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