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Home » Spirit » Shirtless Passenger Tries To Rip Open Exit Door On Spirit Airlines, Prompting Diversion
Spirit

Shirtless Passenger Tries To Rip Open Exit Door On Spirit Airlines, Prompting Diversion

Matthew Klint Posted onMarch 26, 2021November 14, 2023 8 Comments

a man being carried by a man

Spirit Airlines may not offer any formal in-flight entertainment, but you have a decent chance of encountering some anyway in the form of (mis)behavior from fellow passengers. The latest incident involves a shirtless man attempting to open the exit door during a flight to Los Angeles.

Spirit Airlines Flight Diverts To Denver After Shirtless Passenger Attempts To Open Exit Door

Spirit Airlines flight 185 took off from Cleveland (CLE) on Wednesday, headed for Los Angeles (LAX). Midway through the flight, a passenger exited the lavatory without his shirt then attempted to open one of the rear exit doors just outside the lavatories.

He was constrained by flight attendants and passengers and held down in the last row. The captain opted to divert to Denver (DEN) rather than continuing to Los Angeles.

Law enforcement and medical officials met the flight and the man was escorted off on a stretcher. The passenger has not yet been identified, but faces steep fines  for his misbehavior. Earlier this month the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration extended its zero-tolerance policy for disruptive passengers onboard. Based upon the fact pattern, the young man could be facing a fine of up to $35,000 or up to 20 years in jail since the incident involved flight attendant assault (in the struggle to wrestle him to the ground).

Responding to the incident, Spirit points out the impossibility of opening an aircraft emergency exit door in-flight:

“It is important to note that opening a door inflight is impossible due to air pressure inside the cabin pinning the door against its frame with force stronger than any person could ever overcome. Safety is our number one priority at Spirit Airlines. Law enforcement met the aircraft in Denver and took the passenger into custody. We thank the crew members and Guests who assisted for handling this situation quickly prior to arrival.”

CONCLUSION

While harsh penalties for poor behavior onboard serve as deference, bad behavior persists. The latest incident required several flight attendants and passengers to risk their own safety in order to subdue the passenger. It isn’t clear if drugs were alcohol were involved.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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8 Comments

  1. Lukas Reply
    March 26, 2021 at 10:09 am

    I think that it *is* clear that drugs or alcohol were involved, LOL.

  2. geoff Reply
    March 26, 2021 at 10:12 am

    Spirit gonna Spirit.

  3. Joe Chivas Reply
    March 26, 2021 at 10:34 am

    Did Kyle take this video? I know he flies Spirit a lot and travels with a pretty rough posse.

  4. Mitch Cumstein Reply
    March 26, 2021 at 10:39 am

    I don’t like the way the big guy with the buzz cut restrained the shirtless passenger. Not a good look these days for a white man to have his knee on a black man’s back.

  5. jon Reply
    March 26, 2021 at 11:11 am

    Inflight entertainment at its best !

  6. Stuart Reply
    March 26, 2021 at 12:09 pm

    Yet another endorsement that duct tape is the greatest invention known to man. Right up there with the wheel.

  7. Nancy Reply
    March 26, 2021 at 2:38 pm

    Perhaps the white man needs to be putting more knees on backs these days. i.e. Miami Beach

  8. James Reply
    March 30, 2021 at 6:51 pm

    Lol. Some people in the comments manage to turn this into racist rant. At this point I don’t know if its sarcasm or showing off stupidity as pride…. Hahahaha

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