Federal agents arrested a passenger on Monday for allegedly attempting to open the emergency exit while his flight from Anchorage, Alaska to Portland, Oregon was still in the air.
Alexander Michael Herrera, 23, was allegedly restrained by fellow passengers and crew members during the flight.
"I woke up to a loud hissing sound and then a bunch of folks screaming and I turned around the saw a large gentleman attempting to exit the plane midflight," passenger Ryan Oelrich told KATU-TV. He said it took five or six people to restrain him.
Members of the flight crew gathered spare seat belt extensions and shoelaces that passengers used to restrain Herrera for about 15 minutes until the flight landed.
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"God bless the passengers around him. I saw a lady jump on him and a bunch of guys just got right in there and took him down and held him down," said Oelrich. Passenger Henry Pignataro told KGW that the woman next to Herrera called for help, and then "I put him in a choke hold and brought him down to the ground."
Passengers gave the flight crew and the passengers who restrained Herrera a standing ovation after the plane landed.
"I could hear the folks chatting who were seated around him after the incident, said he had made them nervous from the get go. That he was talking to himself and was asking them bizarre questions," Oelrich said.
FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele said Herrera tried to open the door during the plane's descent after saying "unusual things" to other passengers. Police took Herrera into custody after the flight landed in Portland. Herrera faces one count of interfering with a flight crew.
Herrera's father told KGW his son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder several years ago and was taking medication for it. He added that his son recently got a job in Alaska, and hadn't mentioned anything about coming to Portland.
