Women held after trying open plane door

July 26, 2008

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A PLANE was forced to make an emergency landing when two women tried to open the cabin door mid-flight, police said today.

The women were drinking on board a tourist flight from Kos in Greece to Manchester on Wednesday afternoon when they became rowdy.

The plane made an emergency landing at Frankfurt Airport in Germany and the women were held in their seats by security staff until their arrest, Hartmut Scherer, a spokesman for the city's police force said.

Police said the women, aged 26 and 27, became violent because they were refused more alcohol when the plane was 30,000ft over Austria.

During the incident, the 26-year-old also attacked a flight attendant with a bottle of vodka.

Mr Scherer said: "Both the women drunk a lot of alcohol on the plane and it was a risk because they made some trouble.

"The captain thought it was better to make an unscheduled stop in Frankfurt and get them off the plane.

"They wanted to open a door in the plane but that was not possible and someone from the security held them in their seats until the landing."

The plane landed at 4.45pm and after a delay of two hours the remaining passengers were allowed to continue home.

The women were questioned by police but released and allowed to return to the UK.

Mr Scherer said police were deciding whether to press charges and the women could also be fined or forced to pay compensation.

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vera angry (26/07/2008 at 17:01)

Easy solution to situations like this, stop all alcohol consumption on flights and before flights. Anyone including top models should be severely dealt with when they display temper tantrums during flights, They terrorise passengers and staff so such be treated as terrorists.

Guten Tag (26/07/2008 at 17:09)

Idiots.

garfield (26/07/2008 at 20:08)

if i was one of the other passengers i would press charges. i wonder if other passengers could do that??

trueblue, manchester (26/07/2008 at 20:37)

So they were released later ,German Police will take no action(why should they) .They should have been made to walk home & locked up as soon as they arrived back.

Luke O,zade, NRW Germany (26/07/2008 at 21:06)

The English and alchohol,
what is it?
What is it that they must drink themselves to such a state, they can no longer realise the consequences of their moronic actions.
And it is always someone elses fault.
By the way , at that altitude they would never get that door open , the pressure is far to great on the outside.

Blip, Manchester (26/07/2008 at 21:37)

I sincerely hope the airline send a bill for the landing charges to these two air chavellers and also bar them from ever travelling on their aircraft again.

sold me wellies, Canada (26/07/2008 at 21:48)

Questioned and released? They should have been thrown in jail. Oh wait a minute it might infringe on there rights. They only put everyone at risk. Pity they did not step out would have sobered them up fast.

StevieP, Bangor (26/07/2008 at 21:56)

"The women were released and allowed to return to the UK " ?. Are you telling me these idiots were allowed to board another plane ,they should be banned from flying for life ,and charged with the attempted murder of dozens of passengers .

Manchester Dale, Manchester (26/07/2008 at 22:02)

Its not that simple Vera. These are the types that you see drunk and unashamed of their behaviour on a Saturday night in town. They are an embarrasment to themselves, their families and this country. But its a culture that has evolved over many decades and it won't go away.

PW - Dole for Labourites!, Manchester (27/07/2008 at 09:21)

The Police should not be considering pressing charges, as they should already be doing so. A very harsh penalty is needed to show other idiots where their own moronic behaviour will lead them.

A fine of £5,000 to be paid by friends/relatives to secure their eventual release would have been suitable.

xanadu1, manchester (27/07/2008 at 09:25)

The best way to deal with people like this is to circulate their names to all other airlines so that nobody will allow them on board their aircraft. I know we have a massive booze problem in the UK but it's embarrassing when we start inflicting it upon the rest of the world. Having lived abroad for some years the Brits are increasingly seen as drunken yobs who can't function without their daily "fix" of alcohol. It's a national disgrace and before anybody reacts to this comment, I enjoy a few drinks myself but don't feel the need to get aggressive and behave like a moron.

Good Cop Bad Cop, Salford (27/07/2008 at 10:28)

Both persons in question should be banned from all airports in the uk, preventing them from access to any flight for a minimum of 15 years.

It certainly isnt acceptable behaviour and would have caused great distress to the other passengers and cabin crew.

Oh, and revoke their passports too, maybe then they will see the "Funny" side of this..........or maybe not.
Being drunk is not an excuse.

Grief Tourist, Tameside (27/07/2008 at 11:05)

What's the betting that if they have leafy addresses they'll get a slap on the wrists when they should be going to prison.

Frostee, Oldham (27/07/2008 at 11:20)

I agree with 'vera angry'. Alcohol should be banned during flights. Alcohol is known to be responsible for lowering self responsibility and for some people this results in behaviour of the worse kind.

Surely passengers can go without an alcoholic drink during a flight, if they cannot then they must be alcoholic and need treatment.

Those people who debase themselves (and often frighten other passengers) in boorish behaviour during a flight should be jailed with no excuses allowed. No fines, no slapped wrists, just a mandatory jail sentence - that would be the best deterrent.

Rugbygirl, Urmston (27/07/2008 at 14:00)

the cost of booze on flights and they still got drunk? they were probably drunk before they got on the plane and should never have been let on. Ban them from flying forever!

dolly D, manchester (27/07/2008 at 14:27)

It has been reported that the women in question were drinking there own alcohol and were NOT being served by the crew, it is not widely known that passengers cannot drink their own alcohol onboard i think perhaps now it is time to make it illegal. I am cabin crew and nearly every day I have to take alcohol off passengers that we have not served them. We shouldnt ban alcohol being served onboard - why spoil it for those passengers who want to have a relaxing drink without getting too drunk? It should be down to the handling agents to stop these hooligans from boarding the aircraft and not let them slip through to cause trouble and be left to the cabin crew to deal with!! We work hard enough as it is!!

-Soothsayer+ (27/07/2008 at 17:07)

Interesting phenomena this ... women behaving like men. It's because we've been made equal when in reality we're completely different.

Men and Women should compliment each other and that can only be achieved if we're different. To be married to someone who is equal makes the marriage less attractive, hence the high divorce rate and the subsequent children without a father figure ... some of whom go off the rails and become a bad influence on others ... resulting in the rise in gang culture and crime.

I'm sorry but women are nurturers and men are the bread winners. Now all we've got is career minded women and plenty of Ms's in government. Allow this trend to grow and we will end up living in an alien society void of the basic human requirements of mankind.

Donna. Harpurhey (27/07/2008 at 17:32)

Surely its time the death penalty in Europe for crimes of this nature was reinstated. How many lives on the plane & on the ground would have been lost if they had managed to open the doors. There would be no chance of them re-offending after being dangled at the end of a rope.

Roy Boy, Alberta, Canada. (27/07/2008 at 17:35)

Yet another example of the drunken behaviour for which the British tourist is increasingly known for.
These two women should be made to pay restitution to the Airline,charged with endangering an aircraft,banned from flying and Jailed.

Laura Genstitt, Manchester (27/07/2008 at 20:25)

Luke O Zade, the pressure is on the inside of the cabin, so a small rupture is a bit like bursting a balloon. If the door was not automatically armed then the door, the women and anything not secured would go flying out.

It is scary though - when i'm on a plane i can't even bring myself to touch a door let alone try to move the handle.

Luke O,zade, NRW Germany (28/07/2008 at 09:52)

Laura, due to differences in air pressure, it is not possible to open an aircraft door during flight. Aircraft have pressurized cabins to facilitate passenger comfort during flight, so the oygen can be controlled, without it we would have to wear oxygen masks.The difference between the pressure inside, and outside of the plane, seals the door, if you tried to open the door, you would,nt have strength enough to overcome the pressure differential.
Try opening your car door next time you are on the motorway, at about 60mph, then imagine the speed of an aircraft at high altitude , where the air pressure is thinner.
Hope this helps clarify.

Mike, Manchester (28/07/2008 at 12:13)

Depends if the door opens inwards or outwards.

PW - Dole for Labourites!, Manchester (28/07/2008 at 12:40)

None of this is relevant.

The story's about 2 more thick-headed people who are in desperate need of a big shock that they'll never forget. It would have been a great benefit to all of us had there been a trapdoor to swiftly eject the morons.

Mr Manchester (28/07/2008 at 12:49)

Laura: please do not try and open your car door whilst doing 60mph on the motorway. Luke is merely making a point. Also, do not put your hand in a fire or jump from a cliff top.

jomov, Manchester (28/07/2008 at 12:59)

The airlines are right not to allow passengers to drink their own 'duty free' alcohol so that they are able to have some control of the amounts drunk in order to avoid this type of situation.

I hope these people were billed for any costs incurred by this incident, that will probably hit them harder.

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