Is it possible to open an exit door in flight

In addition to the design of the doors, they are also outfitted with locking mechanisms that operate automatically when the aircraft takes off. These use a combination of pressure locks such as an inflatable seal and metal latches to secure the door shut.

They can only be manually overridden from the cockpit. If a passenger attempts to open a door or emergency exit in flight, t hey are in violation of airline and FAA regulations for tampering with the airplane. In the past, they have been immediately restrained until the flight lands, where they will then be detained. The consequences vary on the situation and the airline. Many airlines will ban that customer from flying with them again.

In the event of a turn-around, the customer may expect a bill covering the cost. In the event that the action is interpreted as a willful attempt at violence, the person will be detained and charged criminally. Due to airline procedures, if the attempt is interpreted as an act of terrorism, jets can be scrambled. Jets were scrambled in this particular case. The emergency exits are obviously there for a reason, so at what point are these able to open?

The doors are not mechanically locked until just after takeoff, before reaching a high enough altitude to seriously disrupt cabin pressure in the event of one being opened. They are again switched from automatic to manual mode upon landing. The flight crew must be in control of the emergency exits in the event they are needed quickly. They must also be in control of activating the emergency inflatable slides, which erupt with enough force to do serious damage to other aircraft or vehicles on the tarmac.

First, the cabin would need to be depressurized. A rip in the plane wall, a window cracks, it doesn't matter the cause. The huge pressure difference creates a vacuum capable of shooting anything up to 1, pounds out into the sky.

And that vacuum effect would last until the pressure inside the cabin matched the pressure outside. So Shatner made a good call buckling himself in before opening that emergency exit.

If you don't live in the Twilight Zone, your chances of pulling open an airplane door mid-flight are just as good as seeing a gremlin on the wing. So the next time you start getting nervous about it, just remind yourself:. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App.

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A man was hospitalized after jumping out of a plane at LAX on Friday night, officials said. In June, Air Europa flight UX89 was forced to turn back after a passenger tried to pull open the emergency exit. And just last month, holidaymaker Chloe Haines appeared in magistrates court on charges of attacking two stewards who tried to stop her from doing the same. The unifying detail of all of these stories is that the passengers were flagrantly drunk.

There are two lines of defence at play here. The first is, as you might expect, that the doors are mechanically locked. These locks are controlled by the pilot.