German easyJet passenger brawls, then tries to open cabin door

Crew members of an easyJet flight in route to Berlin from Naples had to act quick recently when a 31-year-old German passenger threatened to open the plane's cabin door at 30,000.

German national Meik Gauer, of Leipzig, apparently got into a little dust up with two British passengers, aged 21 and 41, who were taunting him (though authorities don't know why). Words were exchanged.

Then things turned physical: Gauer bit one of them on the ear and punched the other in the face. Then he went for the cabin door before crew members restrained him in a seat. The plane landed safely nearly 90 minutes later in Berlin at which time Gauer was led off the plane in cuffs.

Police in Berlin say they'll charge him with assault and endangering an airplane's safety. He faces up to five years in jail.

I know what you're probably thinking: He was drunk, right? Not really. Police say he was not too drunk to drive a car -- and Germany has pretty strict rules about that.

Filed under: Airlines