A Massachusetts man faces a list of charges after attempting to open the aircraft door during United Airlines flight UA2609 from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) on Sunday, March 5th. The passenger, Francisco Severo Torres, attempted the act 45 minutes before arrival in Boston, then, with a broken spoon, tried to stab a flight attendant. Other passengers who witnessed the act stepped in, then tackled Torres to the ground.

A detailed account of what happened

Forty-five minutes before landing in Boston, the flight crew received an alarm that the starboard side door had been disarmed between first class and economy. As a flight attendant inspected the door, they noted that the door locking handle had adjusted a quarter of the way to the unlocked position. The emergency slide had also been moved to the disarmed position. Once the attendant had re-secured the door, they reported the incident to the captain.

Another flight attendant recognized that Torres had been near the door and believed he had been the one who tampered with it. Crew approached Torres to question him, with Torres requesting video evidence to prove it had been him.

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A threat to the aircraft

Considering the door tampering and Torres' response, flight attendants reported to the captain that they believed the passenger was a threat to the aircraft and the flight should land as soon as possible.

As the situation intensified, Torres exited his seat and headed towards the crew. The passenger then was seen thrusting a broken metal spoon toward a flight attendant's neck, hitting their neck three times. With other passengers witnessing the act, Torres was tackled to the ground and restrained by other passengers and crew. As reported by WCBV News, a criminal complaint stated:

"Torres told investigators he went into the bathroom on the plane and broke a spoon in half to make a weapon. When he came out of the bathroom, Torres went into the galley, disarmed the door, and tried to open it unsuccessfully … Torres admitted to knowing that if he opened the door, many people would die."

Reports from other witnesses

As the situation unfolded, other passengers noted that they had witnessed Torres asking where on the safety card it showed the door handle and that he had been spotted pacing in the galley before the attack.

Torres was arrested once the aircraft landed in Boston on Sunday evening, made an initial appearance at the US District Court, and will be detained pending a further hearing this Thursday. His charges of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon could end with a sentence of up to life in prison, with up to five years of supervised release in addition to fines up to $250,000.

United Airlines released this statement:

"Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one customer was restrained after becoming a security concern on a flight from Los Angeles to Boston. The flight landed safely and was met by law enforcement. No serious injuries were reported."

"We have zero tolerance for any type of violence on our flights, and this customer will be banned from flying on United pending an investigation. We are cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation."

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Sources: WCVB, CNN, CBC News