Gadling

Only a nutjob would think to open the door during a midflight. This woman is definitely a nutjob and I hope she was sent to a mental facility. She's clearly a danger to herself and to others.

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Wow, they open doors on planes while the planes are flying in movies... Thats nice to know this doesnt work

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Okay, so how about this. The cabin pressure suddenly drops and the oxygen masks drop down for everyone. What is some crazy person panics at THAT point when the pressure is down, and tries to open the door???

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That cabin pressure has to drop pretty far in order to equalize that at 30k feet. If you're at that pressure inside of the plane you have a lot more to worry about than oxygen masks falling from the ceiling.

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Wow, that is crazy...it's kind of like in Snakes on a Plane. What would drive that lady to want to open the door and get sucked out?

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Not sure that this is completely true. I just flew on a Boeing 737-800 from the Sunwing Airlines flight and it had a new exit I had not seen before that opens outwards and up (still attached the the plane) like a car hood.

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You cannot open aircraft doors even if the pressure drops. Control of the door in flight is with the pilot, this is part of the pre flight procedure. Notice that red ball inside the plastic lid on the door? That shows where the control of the door is. In case of emergency like a ditching, the pilot will transfer control of that door to the cabin crew.

perry

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Perry - we don't control the doors in flight. While there may be an aircraft with a pilot-controlled door, I've never seen one. That's all Flight Attendant stuff back there.

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Angel, even those types of doors are considered "plug doors". The locking mechanism is only reinforced with the cabin pressure differential.

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Hey Samantha - I think you belong with the "nutjob"
("Wow, they open doors on planes while the planes are flying in movies... ")

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I don't like the fact that she tried to open the door and had to be subdued by the crew. What if the crew was busy talking, or serving food or sitting with their seat belts on like they are supposed to do when they aren't allowed to move around the plane. This attempt makes me really nervous. First we have to worry about some terrorist trying to gain entrance to the cockpit, or sneaking on some liquids or a plastic bomb, now we have to worry they will just try to open the plane doors. I don't care that they think the cabin pressure will not be able to open the door, who the heck wants to go through the "test" to see if it really doesn't open due to cabin pressure!!! I think it could throw the whole plane out of equilibrium. Would some pilot or expert please comment on this wacky situation. This is crazy and now we have more to watch and be worried about.

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Whoa, what a misleading article. No matter how the door opens, it has many supports points all around the door. Most doors are about 6 feet high and 4 feet wide. In round numbers.
The math and physics is what makes it impossible. 6 X 4 = 24 square feet times 144 = 3,456 square inches. At 35,000 feet the pressure differential inside versus outside the plane is 8 psi. 27,648 pounds of metal against metal. The handles on the door would probably break at about 1,000 pounds - and even if they didn't, moving 7 - 4,000 pound cars with out any wheels is not possible. Even if the whole plane load of people as a group tried to open the doors in flight it is not going to happen.

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As a an ex flight attendant, I can answer that question quite easily. The slipstream over the fuselage and door will make it impossible to open the door even if the cabin pressure has equalized. Ever trt to open your car door at 70+ mph? Same physics apply here. Perhaps if the plane slowed to near-stall speeds, you could crack the door slightly, but you'd never open it all the way.

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To Perry: Where did you get that information from? The indicators on the slide packs you refer to is the pressure gauge for the cartridges that open the packs. You need to quit watching Snakes On A Plane. And the only door the pilot has control over is the cockpit or flight deck door. Again, stop watching so much television.

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As a current flight attendant let me tell you this is all true. The door cannot be opened because of the pressure pushing out. 10 strong men couldn't open the door. The air rushing across and against the door prevents it from opening. All the doors are locked by the pilot's up front. I always tell the folks at the emergency exit row that the door will not open in flight, but if they try to open it then they will be jumped by all on board. Have a nice day!

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How come the photo in this article shows an airline emergency exit door from a Russian airliner (most likely Aeroflot)? Check out the photo showing warning placards in both Russian and English. It seems to me that it would be far easier to get a photo of an emergency exit door on a US-based airline, like American, United or Continental.

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To current and past FA'S. Take it from a retired airline pilot - 34 accident free years - 27,000 airborne hours. IT is NOT the air stream that has anything to do with it in a pressurized commercial jet transport. In an unpressurized Cessna 172, it is the airstream. Don't fly with a crazy person in a Cessna 172. smiling
Pilots only "control" the doors" via pressurization, and we have lights in the cockpit verifying the doors are closed.
The gauge on the door only tells you the condition of the compressed air bottle attached to the emergency chute that is used to inflate the chutes.
A passenger trying to open the door is no worry to a pilot at all, see "Jim" above - IMPOSSIBLE . IT IS what the whacko may do to other passengers, or vice versa - that is of a concern. So, land at nearest suitable airport. Get maintenance to take care of loose nut by getting the police to remove.

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One more reason I will not fly.

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"All the doors are locked by the pilot's up front." Bil... I've only been out of the biz for two years. I don't know what country or airline you fly for, but no airline or airplane I have ever been on is locked by the pilots up front. The pilot locks the flight deck door. But no other exit doors can be "locked". We close them, arm them and that's it. The only thing preventing them from being opened, besides the mob or angry passengers, is the pressure outside. There's no deadbolt or keyholes on the doors on planes. No keyless entry key fobs. Geeze....

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I hope we get an update on this story! Why was she trying to open the door? Was she trying to reenact that CSI episode? Personally, I think she should go to jail and have to pay for any pain and suffering to the other passengers, as I'm sure there was *some* sort of panic going on once everyone realized this crazy bimbo was trying to kill them all! Also, I'm glad to see the doors won't open, in any case.

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