Passenger tried to open aircraft door, court told
A DRUNKEN German tourist who had been refused bar service aboard an
international flight above Western Australia allegedly threatened to
kill passengers on board by opening an exit door at 30,000 feet.
Federal police alleged that Burkard Kottsiepor could have caused a
catastrophe on board the Etihad Airlines flight had it not been for
the actions of the crew and a former Australian army officer who
subdued him.
The drunken rampage, during which a female flight attendant was
allegedly assaulted, landed the 57-year-old German before Central
Local Court yesterday facing four charges under the Aviation Crimes
Act, which carry penalties ranging from two years to 14 years in
prison.
An unshaven Kottsiepor appeared before Magistrate John Bailey
following his arrest by Federal Police when the aircraft touched down
at Sydney International Airport last Friday. He had spent three days
in custody after failing to find his wife to raise bail for him.
Police said outside the court that Kottsiepor's embarrassed wife had
continued with the couple's outback holiday adventure and attempts
were being made to locate her. ...

Pits wrote:

HMMM!

"Pits" gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1191482182.012519.92130@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com...

I've often wondered why they call them 'exit' doors, when they function just
as well for entry.

Its actually impossible to open on the the exit doors whilst the plane
is pressurisied above 20,000ft due to the difference in pressures. The
doors overlap wih the fuselarge preventing them opeining. that is why
when cabin crew open and close the doors, they swing them partially
into the cabin and rotate them to lock and release. Its the same
principle as flight deck windows, the internal pressure forces the
windows into the frame holding them in position.

VH-UNR gmail.com> wrote in news:1191539556.374972.210570
@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com:

That's a bold statement, does it apply to every aircraft?

Peter Fanelli wrote:

More than likely for all that are pressurised, at least those large
enough for there to be room, simply because it's the most straight
forward way of ensuring doors don't accidentally open in flight.

Sylvia.

On Oct 4, 5:34 pm, veritas coldmail.com> wrote:

Hmmmm I imagine is about the press statement regarding doors
(situation normal)
Reason I posted was that Etihad seems to be copping a bit of pax
disturbances of late into/out of oz
One person however, stated this bloke was a full tilt agro nutter
after the cabin crew lit him up even further.

Same person travels with this carrier a lot of late and states the
service is a bit of a lottery cabin crew wise

Pits wrote:

"Pits" gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1191556495.839474.96830@d55g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...

Interesting - got my first flight with them in about 6 weeks. No big deal,
just to Singapore and back

Emirates is my airline of choice but their times into Singapore from Oz are
truly feral as it's just a refuelling stop for them on the way to the UAE
base.

And Etihad was cheaper than Singapore Airlines. And, before someone asks,
I won't fly Qantas if I can avoid it :-)

Peter Fanelli wrote:

No - it doesn't. (obviously we are talking pressurised aircraft)