Drunk Man Locks Himself in Lavatory, Pilot Uses Ax to Break Him Out

The pilot of a Nextjet flight en route to Örnsköldsvik, Sweden had to use an ax to remove a drunk passenger from the bathroom Wednesday night.

The cabin crew reportedly made several unsuccessful attempts to convince the unnamed 53-year-old man to vacate the locked lavatory so the British Aerospace ATP could land. When all else failed, the pilot broke down the door with an ax while the co-pilot reduced the propeller plane’s speed.

It is unclear whether the man had passed out in the bathroom or simply refused to obey the crew’s orders. Once the bathroom door was open, the man was taken back to his seat and the plane landed safely in Örnsköldsvik without further incident.

The man was held at the airport by the Västernorrland Police until his wife arrived to pick him up. According to police, he was nearly barred from boarding the regional flight in Stockholm because he was drunk, but airport officials ultimately deemed him sober enough to fly.

[Photo: iStock]