Plane Passenger Fuels Thanksgiving Travel Panic, Opens Emergency Door in Atlanta
Thanksgiving Turbulence Passenger Opens Exit Door Mid-Freakout!!!
Published
One airline passenger refused to have a Thanksgiving travel meltdown solo -- sparking chaos when he yanked open the emergency exit as the plane was taxiing in Atlanta ... and that stunt got him slapped with charges real quick.
It happened Tuesday at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport on KLM Flight 622 headed for Amsterdam -- when 32-year-old Johannes Van Heertum freaked out, dialed 911 from his seat, claiming he spotted someone with a weapon ... then popped the emergency exit and sent the inflatable slide blasting out, according to a press release from Atlanta PD.
The plane rolled back to the ramp, where police stormed on board and hauled Heertum off. Cops say their preliminary investigation points to a mental health episode -- claiming he genuinely thought he saw a weapon and spiraled into panic.
EMTs checked him out at the International Terminal before cops slapped him with a stack of charges -- reckless conduct, criminal damage to property, and interfering with security measures. He was then carted off to Clayton County Jail.
Authorities say APD Homeland Security was looped in ... and KLM confirmed the whole ordeal forced them to cancel the flight. What a flightmare!
