Man ‘tried to open jet door and stab attendant’

A FLIGHT passenger has been held after trying to open an emergency exit door and then attempting to stab a flight attendant, US prosecutors said yesterday.

Passengers tackled Francisco Severo Torres, 33, during a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston on Sunday after the attempted stabbing. The flight crew helped to restrain him before the plane landed at Boston Logan International Airport.

After he had been confronted by crew members who believed he had tampered with the door, Mr Torres tried to stab one of the flight attendants in the neck with a broken metal spoon before he was tackled.

He was charged with interference and attempted interference with flight crew members using a dangerous weapon. He could face up to life in prison if convicted.