Airline crews occasionally face unexpected disruptions, but an airplane emergency door incident on Wednesday night took things to another level. Aboard American Airlines Flight 920 from Cali, Colombia to Miami, Florida, one passenger went far beyond typical rowdy behavior—he opened an emergency exit and stepped out onto the wing while the aircraft was still taxiing.
American Airlines released a brief statement about the airplane emergency door incident:
“We are aware of an incident involving a passenger on American Airlines flight 920 from Cali, Colombia (CLO) to Miami (MIA).
“While customers were exiting the plane at the gate, a passenger opened the over-wing emergency exit and jumped onto the ramp. The customer was immediately detained by law enforcement officials. All other customers deplaned normally. We thank our team members for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
Miami-Dade police offered more insight, stating the passenger opened the exit just as the plane aligned at the gate. After walking across the wing, he leapt down into a restricted area and told approaching officers he felt endangered.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection took him into custody. Not long after, he became ill and was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital for evaluation—where he then attempted to escape again, reportedly “physically resisting officers.”
The man, a U.S. citizen, was soon booked into the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department for further legal proceedings.
It’s important to note that emergency doors on commercial jets are designed to remain sealed during flight. Pressurization prevents them from opening midair, and pilots lock them from the cockpit. However, after landing, pilots signal “doors to manual” so cabin crew can open them if needed during ground emergencies—enabling this particular incident to unfold as it did.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee