ON Monday night, a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston became a terrifying ordeal when a passenger attempted to open an emergency door and stabbed a flight attendant with a spoon, turning the cutlery into a weapon.
The man, identified as Francisco Torres, broke a metal spoon in a bathroom and attempted to open the emergency exit door mid-flight, according to authorities.
When the cockpit alarm went off, flight attendants confronted Torres, and he allegedly tried to stab one of them in the neck several times with the makeshift weapon.
Fortunately, the flight attendant’s collar and tie prevented serious injury from the attacks.
As the plane approached Logan Airport in Boston, passengers rushed to help restrain Torres and held him down in the aisle.
The 33-year-old suspect was apprehended upon landing and is now facing federal charges for interfering with the flight crew and using a dangerous weapon.
If convicted, he may spend his life in prison.
United Airlines issued a statement thanking the crew and travelers for their professionalism and bravery in handling the emergency.
Law enforcement agencies and the airline are collaborating on the investigation of the incident.
And Torres is expected to show up in a federal court on Thursday.
In a separate air travel incident, a Southwest Airlines flight from Cuba to Florida was forced to return to Havana for an emergency landing on Sunday, March 5, 2023, after birds collided with the plane in engine which later caused problems and smoke to fill the cabin.
The incident, which was confirmed by both the airline and Cuban officials, terrified passengers causing panic.
According to a Southwest Airlines spokesperson, flight 3923 had just taken off from Havana bound for Fort Lauderdale when birds collided with the plane’s nose and engine.
Following the bird strike, pilots immediately detected an issue with one of the engines, but the airline did not confirm engine trouble at the time.
Despite the panic, the pilots successfully landed the plane in Havana, and due to the smoke, the passengers were evacuated using airplane slides.
They were then bused to an airport terminal, where they were supposed to board another flight to Fort Lauderdale.
In a statement issued following the incident, an airline spokesperson apologized to customers for the inconvenience and offered assistance to meet their needs.
Meanwhile, Cuba’s Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that all passengers were safe and that the incident was being investigated.
Bird strikes are a common occurrence in aviation, and airlines take precautions to avoid them, such as using scarecrows or firing bird-repelling devices.
Nonetheless, despite these precautions, bird strikes can still occur, and they can have serious consequences, as was the case with Flight 3923.
