A plane passenger sparked panic on a busy flight when he allegedly tried to open an emergency exit in mid-air.
The plane was flying high over the Atlantic Ocean when the man jumped out of his seat.
Panicked passengers were heard screaming in shock as the man was said to have yanked at the door lever.
He was eventually restrained by flight attendants.
Footage showed the passenger at the emergency exit as cabin crew members pulled him back.
Screaming travellers leapt to their feet as they watched the dramatic scenes unfold just a few feet away.
The suspect was then seen lying on the floor with his hands tied behind his back after being restrained by Plus Ultra cabin crew.
The incident took place during Flight 701 from Madrid, Spain, to the Venezuelan capital Caracas on 28 February.
The Airbus A330 was about halfway through its journey when it happened.
Despite the scary event, the plane ended up landing at its destination ahead of schedule.
The man was reportedly detained after the plane landed in Caracas.
A Plus Ultra spokesperson told Need To Know: “A passenger began to feel restless, annoying the person in the next seat with shouts and slapping him while he was asleep.
“The crew acted quickly, calming the situation between the two and relocating the passenger to another seat where he could not disturb anyone.
“Moments later, this individual suddenly went to one of the doors of the plane trying to manipulate it.
“Immediately, our cabin crew subdued the passenger and, following the action protocol, secured him in the back of the plane until he reached the destination.
“At all times he was accompanied by two people from the crew, lying on the ground and attended to avoid any possible altercation.”
They added: “One of our cabin crew suffered a partial fracture of the fibula for which he has already been treated and which will keep him out for a few weeks.”
Plus Ultra operates scheduled routes from its hub in Madrid to Latin America.
It is unclear what prompted the passenger to attempt to open the emergency exit.
It is nearly impossible to open exits on modern planes such as the Airbus A330 after they have reached an altitude of around 10,000 feet.
The difference between the internal cabin pressure and the outside air pressure effectively seals the doors.
Some aircraft have a special flight lock feature that mechanically closes the door after the aircraft reaches a certain speed.
But there have been reported incidents of a passenger managing to open an emergency exit during a flight.
In 2023, a traveller on an Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 managed to open the door while the plane was coming in to land in South Korea.
READ MORE: Rappers jailed for at least 20 years after featuring drugs in their music videos
