Man Attempts To Stab Flight Attendant, Open Emergency Door On United Airlines Flight

In a shocking incident, a United Airlines passenger tried to stab one of the flight attendants on the Los Angeles to Boston flight in the United States. As per a report on AP, a Massachusetts man named Francisco Severo Torres, 33, of Leominster travelling on United Airlines Flight 2609 tried to open the flight's emergency door when the plane was about to land at the Boston Logan International Airport. He then tried to stab a flight attendant in the neck with a broken metal spoon, federal prosecutors alleged. The US attorney's office in Boston has charged Torres with attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon, the statement added.

The report further states that the plane was about 45 minutes from arrival in Boston when the crew received an alarm for emergency door. The crew noticed that a side door on the aircraft was disarmed, and the locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position about a quarter of the way toward the unlocked position. Also, the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the disarmed position, authorities said.

Man tackled by passengers after trying to open the emergency exit door and then attempting to stab a flight attendant with a broken spoon while on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston. https://t.co/c3YKFFlytw pic.twitter.com/abeTaNJnTO — Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) March 7, 2023

The flight crew secured the door and slide immediately and doing so, noticed that Torres was seen near the door and believed he had tampered with it. The crew then informed the captain of the flight and termed Torres as a threat to the safety and requested the captain to land the plane as soon as possible.

Torres got out of his seat and approached the two flight attendants standing in the aisle. He used a spoon to make stabbing motions, hitting a flight attendant three times in the neck area. Fellow passengers on the flight tackled Torres, who was restrained with the assistance of the crew. United Airlines said no one was injured.

"Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one customer was restrained after becoming a security concern on United flight 2609 from Los Angeles to Boston," the company statement said. "The flight landed safely and was met by law enforcement."

Torres was later detained by the Federal authorities after landing at the Boston Airport and made an initial appearance in federal court. He is awaiting a hearing scheduled for Thursday. The airline said Torres will be banned from flying on United pending an investigation.