A JetBlue passenger caused chaos on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 when he opened the emergency exit door on Flight 161 while it was taxiing at Boston Logan International Airport. The flight to San Juan was delayed and other airport operations were impacted.
Incident Details
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the passenger opened the emergency exit door on the Airbus A320 and deployed the slide while the plane was on the taxiway.
JetBlue Passenger, Fred Wynn, who was seated nearby, told the media in a statement:
The boyfriend and girlfriend were arguing behind me. The boyfriend got mad, got up, walked down the aisle, grabbed the emergency door, and ripped it completely off.
The man’s actions were met with immediate response. Passengers restrained him until a law enforcement officer on board cuffed him. Massachusetts State Police then took him into custody when they arrived on the scene. Audio from air traffic control captured the chaos, with the pilot telling authorities:
“It looks like a law enforcement officer subdued the passenger, and I could hear passengers screaming.”
The incident delayed Flight 161 and also affected operations at Boston Logan International Airport where the runway was shut down for a short time. According to FlightAware, 95 flights—17% of Logan’s daily operations—were delayed that day.
JetBlue swapped the plane and Flight 161 departed nearly three hours late. It landed in San Juan at 3:17 a.m. A JetBlue spokes person said:
“We greatly appreciate our customers’ understanding as we worked to address this situation.”
Aviation Safety
Exit doors are designed for ground evacuations and are locked during flight. While the safety feature worked as intended here, it’s a reminder to keep safety protocols in place and to educate passengers on emergency equipment.
This incident comes just a day after two bodies were tragically discovered in the landing gear of a JetBlue plane. The case remains under investigation. JetBlue said:
Tragically, both individuals were deceased. At this time, the identities of the individuals and the circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation. This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred.
These incidents raise important questions about aviation safety and passenger behavior. How can airlines and airports improve safety measures?
