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Spirit flight diverted after 'unruly passenger' appeared to attempt opening exit door

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Posted at 12:29 PM, Mar 25, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-25 12:29:16-04

CLEVELAND — A Spirit Airlines flight from Cleveland to Los Angeles was diverted due to an unruly passenger, the company said.

Flight 185 to Los Angeles was diverted to Denver during the commute after a passenger appeared to attempt to open an exit door mid-flight, Spirit said.

The passenger, who was not identified, was taken into custody by law enforcement in Denver, according to the airline.

Spirit Airlines said that opening a door during a flight is “impossible due to air pressure inside the cabin pinning the door against its frame with force stronger than any person could ever overcome.”

The airline thanked the crew members and passengers who helped in handling the situation prior to arriving in Denver.

Here is the full statement from Spirit Airlines:

Spirit Airlines flight 185 diverted to Denver on the way to Los Angeles due to a passenger who appeared to attempt to open an exit door. It is important to note that opening a door inflight is impossible due to air pressure inside the cabin pinning the door against its frame with force stronger than any person could ever overcome.

Safety is our number one priority at Spirit Airlines. Law enforcement met the aircraft in Denver and took the passenger into custody. We thank the crew members and Guests who assisted for handling this situation quickly prior to arrival.

No further details regarding the incident have been provided at this time.

This story was first published by Camryn Justice at WEWS.