Is this possible?

[Ryoki]

Opening an airplane emergency exit door in mid flight?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/09/12/flight ... index.html

Was discussing exactly that a few weeks ago when i flew to Berlin with a mate of mine. I was like 'man, forget about bombs, just open this here door' and my friend was like 'forget about it, it's impossible, they're locked, it cannot be done'.

I tried to test him by suggesting he try it out if he was so sure, but he declined.

[4days]

always thought they were locked to prevent accidental/malicious opening but that they were unlocked in the event of the pilot pressing the 'oh shit, disaster' button.

[Denz]

If the plane is in the air the air pressure would make it nearly impossible to open during flight, cabin pressure and whatnot.

This makes sence to me, but if I'm wrong please explain.

[mrd]

Well.. I hope they're fucking locked

But.. uh.. air is thinner up in the air, and AFAIK planes maintain ground air pressure which is higher, which would blow the door outwards. But then again I haven't been on a plane in almost 15 years so maybe that's changed

[Denz]

Well, think about it if you’re doing 400mph and the air outside is moving across that door so fast that it would be impossible to open it while in flight, but the door doesn't swing out it swings in and up. (on some planes) so the cabin pressure would keep it shut. On the planes that the door swings out, the door swings towards the nose of the plane so the wind would prevent it from opening. I’m pretty sure the aircraft engineers had this mind when designing these planes so that passengers can’t just walk up to the door and open it while in flight.

This is an interesting physics problem. Some of the smart people in here should query this problem.

[Pext]

assuming the cabin had the same pressure as the air outside and assuming that the door was not locked and completely loose: i think the door would flap by some centimeters from its 'closed'-state.
it might as well depend on wether the door is in front or back of the plane due to differing aerodynamics.

but since the air from the cabin will push out of the plane, opening the door and exposing it to the air-currents, it might happen that the door get's ripped out.

[busetibi]

Opening an airplane emergency exit door in mid flight?

nope, can't be done.
when the plane is airborne and pressurized, the inside of the plane is pressurized to the equivalent atmosphere of 8,000 feet.
airplanes normally cruise above 30,000 feet,the air pressure inside is greater than the pressure outside, and the pressure difference makes it impossible to open the door.

[Pext]

oh lol... they're open to the inside, rigth? this kinda explains it

[Ryoki]

Yes, yes it does
What it doesn't explain is why the stewardess flipped completely, like some kind of incompetent person.

[Foo]

Because if he's going for the handle then he's a nut, regardless of not being possible to open it.

And I think it's a stretch to take 'yelling for help' as 'flipped completely' and 'incompetent'

[Ryoki]

Maybe he knew (unlike me) he could do no harm. Maybe he was just practicing some kung fu moves, stretching a bit, using the bar as a pull up device.

Screaming for help is surely overreacting if that's the case.. and jumping on the guy and punching him seems like wild disregard for the high standard of hospitality & politeness United Airlines aims to offer it’s customers.

[ek]

better raise terror threat level to code orange and move to defcon 5

[RRROOOAAARRR]

hit all tha airports with nookular weppuns just ta be sure

[Captain]

The Bush Administration will lock this thread.

[Foo]

Maybe he knew (unlike me) he could do no harm. Maybe he was just practicing some kung fu moves, stretching a bit, using the bar as a pull up device.

[Freakaloin]

"Any time you hear a flight attendant shout 'please help,' you worry that something pretty bad is going to happen,"

[Tsakali_]

uhm the doors open to the outside so if anything it would force the door open if unlocked with no questions asked.
besides making a huge fucking door in a very limited space open towards the inside is just retarded.

[Canidae]

[Pete]

I don’t know but I read last year that a passenger, a drunk or/and derange lady was trying to open the door of an airplane and a Stewart stopped her from doing it. The lady excuse was…I simply wanted to open the door to smoke a cigarette. True story.

[Bdw3]

better raise terror threat level to code orange and move to defcon 5

Defcon 5 is Normal peacetime readiness...