Man accused of trying to open United Airlines jet’s door and attacking crew

A Massachusetts man tried to open a United flight's emergency door on a cross-country flight from Los Angeles to Boston and then tried to stab a flight attendant in the neck with a broken metal spoon. Photo / AP

A Massachusetts man tried to open an airliner’s emergency door on a flight from Los Angeles to Boston and then tried to stab a flight attendant in the neck with a broken metal spoon, federal prosecutors have alleged.

Francisco Severo Torres, 33, of Leominster, was tackled and restrained with the aid of passengers and arrested Sunday at Boston Logan International Airport when United Airlines Flight 2609 landed, the US attorney’s office in Boston said.

Torres was charged with interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon.

The man was detained at an initial appearance in federal court on Monday and awaits a hearing scheduled for Thursday. An email seeking comment was left with his federal public defender.

The plane was about 45 minutes from arrival in Boston when the crew received an alarm that a side door on the aircraft was disarmed, prosecutors said.

A flight attendant noticed that the door’s locking handle had been moved out of the fully-locked position about a quarter of the way towards the unlocked position, and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the disarmed position, authorities said. The crew secured the door and slide.

An airplane door cannot be opened once in flight because of cabin pressure.

Another flight attendant had noticed that Torres was seen near the door and believed he had tampered with it. The crew told the captain that he was a threat and the plane should land as soon as possible.

At that point, prosecutors allege, Torres got out of his seat, approached two flight attendants standing in the aisle, and used the spoon to make stabbing motions, hitting a flight attendant three times in the neck area.

Passengers tackled Torres, who was restrained with the assistance of the crew.

According to a charging document, Torres told investigators he went into the airplane’s bathroom and broke a spoon in half to make a weapon.

Torres said he then went into the galley, disarmed the door and tried to open it with the idea of jumping out of the plane, according to the document.

Investigators said Torres admitted knowing that if he opened the door many people would die.

Torres also said he was then confronted by flight attendants and, in an attempt to defend himself, stabbed one of the attendants in the neck three or four times, according to investigators. They added Torres said he believed the flight attendant was trying to kill him, so he was trying to kill the attendant first.

United Airlines said no one was injured.

“Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one customer was restrained after becoming a security concern,” the company said. “The flight landed safely and was met by law enforcement.”

The airline said it has a zero-tolerance policy for violence and Torres will be banned from flying on United, pending an investigation.

One passenger told investigators that Torres had asked where the safety card showed where the door handle was during the flight attendants’ pre-takeoff safety briefing, prosecutors said.

If convicted, he could face life in prison.