MMA fighter steps in as passenger ‘tries to open plane door’ on Frontier flight | World | News

A former MMA fighter has revealed how he stepped in to save the day after a passenger allegedly tried to open the emergency exit door during the flight.

While Josh Longood was returning to Chicago following his brother’s bachelor party in Puerto Rico on May 31, another passenger allegedly assaulted a flight attendant and tried to force open the emergency exit door on the Frontier plane.

The 37-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt moved quickly to use his martial arts expertise to subdue the man for about 10 minutes; before being summoned a second time after the traveler was freed from his restraints. Josh kept him under control for another 20 to 30 minutes until the plane had to make an emergency landing in Miami.

He is a medical device salesman by profession, a competitive BJJ black belt, and former MMA fighter, making him absolutely the right person to intervene. A light sleeper, he described how he quickly became aware of the situation unfolding just a few rows ahead.

He first noticed that the other passenger was acting erratically. “He was just talking and acting crazy,” she said. “I knew he wasn’t going to calm down, so I kept an eye on him because there were women and little children around.” Mirror.

Josh claimed the trouble started when someone went to grab the bag the man had with him, at which point he initiated the attack. “I responded immediately and placed him safely where he couldn’t hurt anyone,” he said. “I’m grateful that I was sitting close to him so I was able to resolve the situation before anyone got hurt. It was my years of BJJ training that helped me stay calm and handle the situation.”

He added that he would not hesitate to take action again if the situation required it. “I feel confident in my training and abilities to handle real-life situations like these,” he said.

A Frontier spokesperson confirmed that an incident occurred on Flight 3345 to Chicago and the passenger was forced to divert due to a disruptive situation.

He told The Mirror: “On Sunday, May 31, a passenger caused disruption on Flight 3345 from San Juan to Chicago O’Hare and the flight was diverted to Miami. Law enforcement boarded the plane in Miami and removed the passenger and the flight continued to Chicago a few hours later.”

Last month, a United Airlines flight was forced to change route after an emergency in the air when a passenger allegedly tried to open the door.

There were 145 passengers and 6 crew members on the plane, which was about to go from Newark Liberty International Airport to Guatemala City. The pilot decided to change route due to an unruly passenger.

Officers encountered Flight 1551 as the Boeing 737-8 MAX landed safely at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

It is physically impossible for a passenger to open the door of a commercial aircraft at cruising altitude due to mechanical locks and atmospheric pressure. Contemporary commercial aircraft are designed with “plug-type” doors; This means that the door is physically larger than the opening frame into which it is placed, like a bath stopper. To open the door, it must first be gently pulled inwards, then turned or pushed outwards, which is not possible due to cabin pressure.