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US man tries to open emergency door during flight, attacks crew member
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts reports that a passenger on United Airlines was detained after he allegedly attempted to open the emergency exit door of the aircraft and subsequently stabbed a flight attendant.
On a Sunday flight from Los Angeles to Boston, the incident happened. Federal authorities claim that Francisco Severo Torres, 33, attempted to stab a flight attendant in the neck with a broken metal spoon after being confronted about tampering with the door. According to the prosecution, other passengers tackled him and the flight crew assisted in restraining him.
The flight crew was informed that a side door had been deactivated less than an hour before the aircraft was scheduled to touch down at Boston Logan International Airport. When a flight attendant examined the door, she discovered that the emergency sliding lever had been deactivated and that the locking handle had been moved from its fully secured position. The crew then shut the hatch and fastened the slide.
The 33-year-old passenger had been observed standing close to the door for a while, so the flight crew assumed he was trying to tamper with it. The passenger “pose a threat to the aircraft,” according to the crew, who informed the captain.
Torres is accused on one count of attempting to use a lethal weapon to interfere with members of the flight crew. He was detained in advance of a hearing on March 9 after appearing in court on Monday.
United Airlines confirmed the passenger is banned from all its flights pending an investigation and said it is cooperating with law enforcement in their probe. The airliner also said no one was injured. The airline declared in a statement that it would not tolerate any form of violence on its flights.
