Passengers Desperately Hold Plane Door Closed After It Opens Mid-Flight

Passengers aboard a plane flying over Brazil were forced to hold its door closed after it flew open mid-flight and the handrail hit the propeller.

The flight had left Jordao in Acre and was heading to Rio Branco when the door opened up after one of its support cables broke mid-flight - prompting passengers to rush over and desperately hold it shut. 

In the footage, at least two passengers can be seen holding the door to the small plane closed. According to local reports, the passengers were thankfully able to keep the plane door closed until it landed and no injuries were reported.

You can see footage of the incident here:

In the clip, despite the danger they’re in, the passengers appear to remain remarkably calm as the incident unfolds. 

The plane is believed to be an Embraer 110 Bandeirante, a Brazilian twin-turboprop light aircraft used in commercial flights and also used by the military.

It can typically fly between 15 and 21 passengers - although it hasn’t been revealed how many people were on this flight when the incident occurred. 

Local media outlets have claimed the plane was operated by Rio Branco Aerotaxi. 

CEN

According to reports, it had taken off from Jordao at 12:30 pm and it landed at the state capital at 2 pm on 14 April.

One of the passengers, who has not been named, told journalists the door opened after one of its support cables broke.

They said that another passenger got up and together with another man, as can be seen in the footage, they joined together and kept the door closed.

CEN

The passengers did this for 20 minutes, while the pilot was forced to shut down the left engine after the door's handrail hit the propeller, meaning he had to complete the flight on just one engine.

A spokesperson for Rio Branco Aerotaxi told local media that the incident was referred to CENIPA (Centro de Investigacao e Prevencao de Acidentes Aeronauticos; the country's Centre for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents).

The spokesperson went on to say that the aircraft had since been repaired and was now ready to fly again.

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Topics: World News, Travel

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at UNILAD who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats.