Watch: Flight attendant breaks leg stopping passenger from opening emergency door mid-flight
Plus Ultra flight lands safely after in-flight emergency over the Atlantic
A Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas flight from Madrid to Caracas turned chaotic when a passenger attempted to open an emergency exit mid-flight, forcing the crew to intervene.
Flight 701 was cruising over the Atlantic when the disruptive man, who had already been causing trouble, suddenly lunged at an emergency door lever.
Video footage, widely shared online, shows concerned passengers watching as crew members rushed to restrain him.
A chaotic situation on board a Plus Ultra flight 701 took place when a passenger tried to open the plane's door mid-flight between Madrid, Spain and Maiquetía, Venezuela on March 1, 2025.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) March 3, 2025
The rapid intervention of the crew, supported by other passengers, managed to stop the… pic.twitter.com/UyZ0rjjCLt
Flight attendant injured
In the struggle to subdue the passenger, a flight attendant suffered a partial fracture of his fibula, Plus Ultra confirmed to Business Insider. He has received treatment but will be out of service for several weeks.
Once restrained, the passenger was moved to the back of the aircraft, where he remained under supervision by two crew members until landing. Upon arrival in Caracas, he was handed over to local authorities.
Safety not compromised
Despite the terrifying ordeal, the airline assured that at no point was flight safety compromised. Aviation experts note that emergency exits cannot be opened mid-flight due to cabin pressure.
Unruly passengers attempting to open plane doors remain rare but not unheard of. In a recent case, an Iberia Airlines passenger allegedly assaulted a crew member before opening an emergency exit while the aircraft was still on the ground.
Following a similar incident in South Korea last year, several airlines have implemented stricter rules regarding seating near emergency exits, reserving them for uniformed personnel.