'Giant' passenger tried to open plane door (I don't care how big he is - beat him anyway!)

Aftenposten Nettutgaven ^ | 9.18.03 | Jonathan Tisdall

[mhking]

A Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight bound for Oslo from London Heathrow had to turn back after a passenger repeatedly tried to open a back door while the plane was in the air. SAS officials said the flight was never in danger, but several eyewitnesses feared the worst before the flight crew managed to calm the man.

Several of flight SK 510's passengers told newspaper VG that they were frightened during the short trip.

"We left Heathrow around 5:30 pm and had flown about half an hour when a giant of a North African went back in the plane and tried to push down the handle and release the main door. He seemed very determined," an Norwegian passenger who remained anonymous told VG.

"The man was about two meters tall (6'-6-1/2") and weighed about 140 kilos (300 lbs). He seemed to be on something, because he had a murderous look," another nervous passenger told the newspaper.

SAS information consultant Trine Loevberg explained that it is not possible to open the doors in the air, and a lamp immediately went off in the cockpit when the door was touched the first time. The pilot then announced that there was something wrong with the main rear door.

Shortly after the first attempt the large passenger gave the door another try.

"He started to fiddle with the handle and then put a lot of force behind it. I thought that he was either completely crazy, or an unsuccessful terrorist. He seemed to be in a trance," a passenger said.

Cabin crew attended to the unruly passenger and managed to keep him calm. The pilot decided that the wisest course was to turn the plane back to London.

"The man was completely calm and, according to the captain, appeared very lethargic. Besides protesting about the return to London he was not aggressive at all. He was not drunk either," Loevberg said.

Seven British police officers took the passenger into custody after landing, and also confiscated a large black sack the man had with him.

[Elsie]

...maybe even crash the plane relatively harmlessly.

Uh.....

Let me OFF of THIS landing EARLY!

[azhenfud]

Passengers simply can't afford to be passive in these situations any more.

[oh8eleven]

'Giant' passenger tried to open plane door.

Being a NY Giant fan, and after Monday night's game, I read this a whole different way.

[PropheticZero]

From what I hear, by airplane designers, DEFINITELY. If you ain't 100 lbs and 4'5" your a freak.

[PropheticZero]

,,, sorry, I got carried away with the freedom of expression concept. Remember when non routine events used to happen on flight before terrorism took charge? Maybe, just maybe this guy got claustrophobia or something.

Maybe we can replace his fear of confined places with fear of getting beat the crap out of by passengers.

OHHHHH, he has claustorphobia, well in that case let him detonate the bomb he has in his shoe....we wouldn't want him to be uncomfortable. We have to pander to every freak without the self control to stay in his seat DON'T we.

OHHHHH, he doesn't like americans...well we wouldn't want to inconvenience him or JUDGE him, let him slit the throat of the pilots.

[Thinkin' Gal]

"The man was about two meters tall (6'-6-1/2") and weighed about 140 kilos (300 lbs). He seemed to be on something, because he had a murderous look," another nervous passenger told the newspaper.

On a Jihad, perhaps? That would be consistent with a 'murderous look'. Was he reading "Jihad for Dummies" shortly before the incident?

[68skylark]

The next time you see the main door on a commercial aircraft being opened, I think you'll see that it moves inward a few inches first -- then it pivots on its hinges and can be moved outside the aircraft (to save on space). The pressue in the cabin keeps all doors and hatches sealed very tightly. There may be 25-30 tons of pressure holding that door shut.

[PropheticZero]

They just need to build a brig in the back of the plane. Through passnegers that misbehave in it. Keep them in there until you reach your destination then turn them over there, or keep them in there and deliver them to the authorities when you finish the return trip.

If I'm on a flight, I'm gonna be pissed if we have to turn around because some dude is wacked out on some drug, or clausterphobic, or hasn't slept in 5 days, whatever.

Shove him in a soundproof brig in the back of a plane and forget about him till you get where you going....after an intensive search for any materials that could be bomb related of course.

Maybe outfit the brig with lifesupport machines to keep him alive after the stewardesses drag him from the mob of passengers mauling him because they're tired of being late getting where they're going.

[Just another Joe]

I don't know about kill, unless it comes right down to it but a good forearm to the groin area from behind will usually get their attention.

[fourdeuce82d]

yeah, now you're talking [yawn]. Kill, kill, kill

sounde like a plan to me, or at least cipple/blind the twit.

[Axenolith]

My last flight in June my wife looks up with a Swiss Army knife in hand and says "look what I forgot to take out of my purse that was missed". Talk about freaking out, I said "put that back, thats a CAVITY search for sure!!!"

I didn't mean any hostility by the comment, it was just to good to pass up the opportunity to utilize it :)

[JETDRVR]

DB COOPER lock ping hehehehehehe ;)

[LPStar]

You can't really do a thorough search for bomb materials when the suitcases are all down in the hold and the carryons are in the overhead bins. As unpleasant as it is, they really do have to touch down as quickly as possible and inspect every piece of luggage when something like this happens.

[shaggy eel]

I didn't mean any hostility by the comment, it was just too good to pass up the opportunity to utilize it :)

,,, no worries at all. This particular thread didn't totally stack up as a terrorist one to me. There's unusual things occuring from time to time on flights all over the world - many of which are unreported. Although this one is mildly sensational, I credit terrorists with more intelligence than this guy displayed, hence my thoughts that it may have been a medical thing.

[tictoc]

three rolls of quarters and a pair of gym socks

Sounds good. Any other ideas? I wonder if a guitar string would make for a good improvised garrotte? (Step up behind the hijacker, wrap around neck once, and pull tight.)

Moderator, please remove if inappropriate.

[shaggy eel]

OHHHHH, he has claustorphobia, well in that case let him detonate the bomb he has in his shoe....we wouldn't want him to be uncomfortable. We have to pander to every freak without the self control to stay in his seat DON'T we.

,,, I listed claustrophobia as a possibility. A bomb in his shoe? It doesn't mention this in the above article - are you holding hopes for a job at CNN?

OHHHHH, he doesn't like Americans...well we wouldn't want to inconvenience him or JUDGE him, let him slit the throat of the pilots.

,,, whoa! The post911 reflex has taken hold of you, hasn't it? This happened on a flight from London to Oslo. Do you know which States they're in?

[Johnbalaya]

a simple stranglehold (arterial, not across throat) applied properly for approx eight to ten seconds would have put him to sleep. Easily done, especially in a cramped space like an airplane.

[birbear]

"The man was about two meters tall (6'-6-1/2") and weighed about 140 kilos (300 lbs)."

Hey! How come he didn't have to pay for two seats?

[Shooter 2.5]

Trivia - D.B. Cooper was a misprint in the paper that reported the incident. The hijacker was really listed as Dan Cooper on the passenger list.

[hosepipe]

[ The flight attendants should have realized that there was a problem when the guy started singing, "Tut Tut Tutsi, goodbye." ]

vERY GOOD.....YOU GET A COOKIE...