what if a terrorist opens the emergency exit in flight?
 

I am curious what if a terrorist opens the emergency exit in flight?
especially on a long-haul flight when all other passengers are sleeping? :eek:

It is not possible to open the exit doors in flight, afaik.

Most emergency exits are a "plug-type" of door, meaning that with the aircraft pressurized, it actually closes the door even tighter against the fuselage (most main cabin doors are like this as well). So it would be at best difficult, if not impossible to actually get the door open in flight.

Not possible.

Those doors which are plug-type are physically impossible for even the World's Strongest Man to pull open against the cabin pressure.

Those doors which are not plug-type have mechanical locks that prevent them from being opened while the aircraft is in flight.

For example, the swing-up doors of the 737NG family have solenoid locks which run off main cabin power. The locks can be disengaged by the pilots manually, or they fail-safe to the open position whenever cabin power is cut.

I'm pretty sure it's physically impossible to open a door in flight. The plug type doors are sealed shut when the cabin is pressurized, and for those airbus type doors, they're pretty much held shut by the pressure of the air on the outside. Kind of hard to open a door against a 500 mph wind.

You need to be very frightened of any terrorist strong enough to open an emergency exit at cruising altitude. He is stronger than any other human who has ever lived, stronger than a gorilla, stronger than a dinosaur. It's simply impossible.

Bruce

Because of the differential in air pressure, the force required to open a door at cruising altitude would be measured in tons.

Let's get real here...

Atmospheric pressure at 35k feet = 3.47 psia
Atmospheric pressure in cabin (8000 feet) = 10.91 psia
Differential = 7.44 psi

Size of over-wing exit door = 24 inches x 36 inches (wild guess, let's go with it for the sake of argument) = 864 square inches

Force required to pull the door inward to open = 6428 pounds


I think a selfless and brave Dutch passenger would notice you trying to pry the door inward when he hears you grunting and the veins on your neck and forehead start popping. He'd tackle you to the floor, restrain you with zip ties, and call it a day. :rolleyes:

Fixed that for you.

I'd watch and laugh as the moron struggles in vain.

You would have to be the incredible hulk

slightly changing subject but i was flying to malaga last year and one of the f/a's told me that one time when she was flying upon touchdown an intoxicated woman ran down the plane and tried to open the exit but failed. what would be the consequences of this happening on the runway?

Windy ride until either aircraft is stopped prior to TO or lands after TO. Not much else since cabin would not be pressurized.

what if a terrorist opens the emergency exit in flight?
 

The laws of physics would fly out the window.

I'm kinda getting sick of these what if? threads.

Uh, don't read them. @:-)