Woman who tried to open plane door in mid-flight is jailed
A woman who tried to open a plane’s emergency door in midair while yelling: ‘‘I’m going to kill you all’’ has been jailed for two years.
Passengers on the Jet2 flight to Dalaman in Turkey said they feared they were going to die as Chloe Haines lunged at a door handle.
Cabin crew and passengers tried to restrain her as she kicked and shouted. Two fighter jets were scrambled to escort the aircraft back to Stansted airport last June. Chelmsford crown court was told that the it cost the airline £86,000 (NZ$172,000). Prosecutors said that passengers did not know that it was impossible to open the door in mid-flight and one had said: ‘‘I thought I was going to die.’’ Haines, 26, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, pleaded guilty at a hearing in December to endangering the safety of an aircraft and assaulting a member of the cabin crew. She wept through the hearing and as she was led to the cells.
Judge Charles Gratwicke said: ‘‘Those that are trapped in the confined space of the aircraft will inevitably be distressed, frightened and petrified by the actions of those who in a drunken state endanger their lives.’’ The court was told that Haines said she ‘‘blacked out and didn’t really remember what happened’’ after mixing alcohol with medication.
Michael Crimp, for the prosecution, said that she had been drinking before the flight. A passenger claimed that Haines was drinking from a bottle she had stored in the overhead locker. A partly drunk bottle of gin was found in a duty-free bag.
She shouted: ‘‘I want to die,’’ as she was restrained.
Crimp said the risk arose from all the cabin crew having to deal with the incident, leaving them unable to cope with any further emergency.
Haines had been convicted of drink-driving and assaulting an emergency worker last April.
Oliver Saxby, QC, said in mitigation that Haines had had a mental illness diagnosed and had not touched alcohol since the incident.