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It was a midflight crisis.
An airplane passenger was arrested after allegedly attempting to open a door during an inflight meltdown.
“I’ve been flying for 10 years, and this is the first time I’ve encountered something like this,” fly-witness Yaowarat Pradungchat told Viral Press.
The “terrifying” incident occurred on Dec. 19 during a Thai Airways flight from Taiwan to Bangkok, Thailand.
The Airbus 320 hit a cruising altitude when the man, believed to be a Thai national, ran yelling down the aisle, frightening his fellow travelers aboard the plane. Passengers screamed when the man tried to open the door and batted at crew members who attempted to restrain him.
Thankfully, they eventually managed to subdue the flyer and strap him to his seat for the remainder of the four-hour flight.
Upon arrival in Bangkok, authorities boarded the plane and apprehended the individual, as seen in the accompanying footage.
“It was really scary,” recalled Pradungchat, who commended the “heroes” for tying him up and bringing the situation “under control.”
Police Colonel Chakpong Nuchpadung, superintendent of Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station in Bangkok, where the plane landed, said that the suspect was taken off the plane and into custody.
However, the officer said that he was subsequently released “for compassionate reasons” after authorities learned that he suffered from mental health issues.
“The man’s relatives confirmed that he has a history of mental illness and had previously received treatment, though they were unsure if he had missed his medication,” said Nuchpadung. He said that the man’s company, which is based in Taiwan, had sent him back to Thailand on account of “his mental health condition and his inability to perform his duties.”
A drug test revealed no substances in the traveler’s system.
The officer said that no charges were filed by Suvarnabhumi International Airport, which “chose not to pursue legal action,” adding that “no harm had occurred” and the facility had sympathy for the man’s mental health condition.”
If the flyer had been charged, he could have faced up to seven years in prison and steep fines for endangering the passengers and the aircraft, per local laws.
