Passenger restrained after trying to open plane exit door mid-flight
A Japanese plane en route to Texas from Tokyo was forced to make an emergency landing in Seattle after a passenger attempted to open the aircraft's doors while in flight.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) Flight 114 was diverted about nine hours after taking off on Saturday 'due to an unruly passenger,' the airline said in a statement.
The flight landed safely at 4:19 a.m. local time, where Port of Seattle Police and FBI Seattle were standing by.
Police informed the media it had been alerted to a male passenger who tried to open the aircraft's doors while it was airborne.
The man, who has not been identified, was experiencing a medical crisis and was restrained by the flight crew and other passengers, police said.
The man was later transported to a hospital. It is unknown if he will face criminal charges.
Story continues below advertisement
The airline later reiterated that the safety of its passengers and crew was its 'top priority,' and thanked the efforts of local law enforcement to address the issue in a statement.
While on the tarmac at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a second passenger was removed from the flight for 'unruly behaviour,' police said. The person had apparently become frustrated by the diversion and punched a bathroom door onboard.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
No charges have been filed against the second passenger, the FBI said.
According to flight data, the plane arrived at its intended destination of George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, on Saturday at around 12:40 p.m. local time, about four hours after it was supposed to touch down.
Based in Tokyo, All Nippon Airways offers flights between Asia and several U.S. cities, including New York City, Honolulu, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Story continues below advertisement
The latest incident is not the first involving an unruly passenger on the same route.
In 2024, an intoxicated customer on an ANA flight from Tokyo to Seattle reportedly bit a flight attendant on the arm about an hour into the journey. The 55-year-old American passenger was 'heavily drunk' when he 'sunk his teeth' into the female crew member, and airline spokesperson said.
Similar incidents have also occurred on other airlines over the past few years.
In April, a passenger aboard a Jetstar flight from Bali, Indonesia, tried to open an exit door in the air, forcing the plane to turn around on its way to Melbourne, Australia.
The same month, a man aboard a Sydney-bound Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur allegedly attempted to open the emergency exit doors twice while mid-flight.
Last November, a man attempted to open the plane of an American Airlines flight and was restrained by staff and passengers with duct tape.
A year earlier, in November 2023, nine passengers on an Asiana Airlines flight were sent to a hospital with breathing issues after a fellow traveller opened the plane's emergency exit door before landing at an airport in South Korea.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
U.S. ambassador says Canadians facing device searches, detainment ‘not a pattern'
OTTAWA — The American ambassador to Canada is pushing back on Ottawa's travel advice, saying his country doesn't search phones at the border and arguing some Americans travelling here are having a tough time. 'We welcome Canadians to come in and invest, to spend their hard-earned Canadian dollars at U.S. businesses,' U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra told The Canadian Press in an interview Friday. 'If a Canadian has had a disappointing experience coming into the United States, I'm not denying that it happened, but I'm saying it's an isolated event and it is not a pattern.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW In April, Ottawa updated its advice to Canadians travelling to the United States to warn them about the possibility they might be detained if denied entry. 'Expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices,' reads the new guidance. There have been reports of Canadians facing intensified scrutiny at the border, having phones searched and, in some cases, being detained. Hoekstra insisted concerns about device searches are not grounded in reality. 'Coming to the U.S., that's a decision for the Canadians to make. Searching devices and all of that is not a well-founded fear. We don't do that. America is a welcoming place,' he said. He said some Americans have expressed similar concerns about Canada. 'I've heard that from Americans coming into Canada as well, OK? Saying, 'You know, we've not received a warm reception when we've gotten to Canadian customs,'' he said. When asked if these reports from American travellers involve arbitrary phone searches and lengthy detainment, Hoekstra said there are consular cases of Americans complaining to the embassy about the Canada Border Services Agency. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'We've said, 'OK this may have been an isolated event. There may have been a Canadian border person who was having a bad day, and thought they'd take it out on, you know, somebody across the border,'' he said. In a statement, the CBSA said its officers follow a code of conduct and the federal ethics code that both require them to treat everyone equally, and the agency investigates any complaints of mistreatment. 'Employees are expected to conduct themselves in a way that upholds the values of integrity, respect and professionalism at all times,' wrote spokeswoman Karine Martel. 'Treating people with respect, dignity and fairness is fundamental to our border services officers' relationship with the public and a key part of this is serving all travellers in a non-discriminatory way.' Hoekstra said travel to the U.S. is up to individuals. 'If you decide that you're not going to come down or whatever, that's your decision and you're missing an opportunity. There are great things to see in America,' Hoekstra said. He also noted the case of CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour, who recently said she prepared to visit the U.S. last month as if she was 'going to North Korea' — with a 'burner phone' that didn't carry any personal information — only to experience a warm welcome. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'It's like, (let's) get past the rhetoric and let's look at the real experiences that people are having here,' Hoekstra said. Airlines have been cutting flights between Canada and the U.S. due to a slump in demand, and Flight Centre Travel Group Canada reported a nearly 40 per cent drop in flights between the two countries year-over-year in February. A survey in early May conducted by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies found 52 per cent of respondents feel that 'it is no longer safe for all Canadians travelling to the United States,' with 29 per cent disagreeing and 19 per cent saying they were unsure. Roughly the same proportion said they personally feel unwelcome in the U.S. LGBTQ+ groups have opted against attending World Pride events in Washington and United Nations events in New York, citing scrutiny at the border as the Trump administration scales back protections for transgender and non-binary people. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2025. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
Calgary Herald
3 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Mongolian embassy visits Spruce Meadows to unveil new exhibit
Article content A delegation from Mongolia visited Spruce Meadows on Saturday for the unveiling of a new pavilion showcasing Mongolian tourism. The exhibit, which features traditional Mongolian handicrafts, fashions and saddles was officiated by a representative from the Embassy of Mongolia in Canada, the vice governor of the province of Ömnögovi, and other delegates. It will be open through until the end of the 'National' presented by Rolex, the facility's annual show-jumping equestrian tournament, which runs June 11-15. 'We are very grateful for this opportunity to showcase Mongolian traditions, culture, and products,' said Batkhuyag Mergee, counsellor for trade, economic and investment relations, for the Embassy of Mongolia in Canada. Mutual love of horses Representatives from the delegation also spoke of the similarities between Alberta and Mongolia, pointing to their mutual love of horses, mountain landscapes and the growing adventure tourism industry. The delegation will spend a week in Alberta wherein they will explore opportunities in education, environment, training and tourism. 'Mongolia and Canada share many similarities like vast beautiful land, diverse climate, rich natural resources, and, most importantly, a shared commitment to democratic values,' Mergee said. 'Today we are going to highlight another unique connection, which is our deep-rooted horse culture.' Article content Article content Zanabazar Jargal, province vice-governor, echoed the same commitments to forging a stronger relationship with Alberta. 'What's so special about Spruce Meadows is that it's really about the horse,' said Linda Southern-Heathcott, Spruce Meadows president and CEO. 'Our Alberta culture, and the Mongolian culture, have at the heart of them, the horse. The people of Mongolia have a very strong culture; they have beautiful mountains, they have the desert, and they are really leaning into adventure tourism, which is very exciting.'
Global News
7 hours ago
- Global News
U.K. judge warns of risk to justice after lawyers cited fake AI-generated cases in court
Lawyers have cited fake cases generated by artificial intelligence in court proceedings in England, a judge has said — warning that attorneys could be prosecuted if they don't check the accuracy of their research. High Court justice Victoria Sharp said the misuse of AI has 'serious implications for the administration of justice and public confidence in the justice system.' In the latest example of how judicial systems around the world are grappling with how to handle the increasing presence of artificial intelligence in court, Sharp and fellow judge Jeremy Johnson chastised lawyers in two recent cases in a ruling on Friday. They were asked to rule after lower court judges raised concerns about 'suspected use by lawyers of generative artificial intelligence tools to produce written legal arguments or witness statements which are not then checked,' leading to false information being put before the court. Story continues below advertisement In a ruling written by Sharp, the judges said that in a USD$120-million lawsuit over an alleged breach of a financing agreement involving the Qatar National Bank, a lawyer cited 18 cases that did not exist. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The client in the case, Hamad Al-Haroun, apologized for unintentionally misleading the court with false information produced by publicly available AI tools, and said he was responsible, rather than his solicitor Abid Hussain. But Sharp said it was 'extraordinary that the lawyer was relying on the client for the accuracy of their legal research, rather than the other way around.' In the other incident, a lawyer cited five fake cases in a tenant's housing claim against the London Borough of Haringey. Barrister Sarah Forey denied using AI, but Sharp said she had 'not provided to the court a coherent explanation for what happened.' The judges referred the lawyers in both cases to their professional regulators, but did not take more serious action. Sharp said providing false material as if it were genuine could be considered contempt of court or, in the 'most egregious cases,' perverting the course of justice, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. She said in the judgment that AI is a 'powerful technology' and a 'useful tool' for the law. Story continues below advertisement 'Artificial intelligence is a tool that carries with it risks as well as opportunities,' the judge said. 'Its use must take place therefore with an appropriate degree of oversight, and within a regulatory framework that ensures compliance with well-established professional and ethical standards if public confidence in the administration of justice is to be maintained.'
