THE Jet2 passenger who sparked a hijack alert tried to open the emergency exit mid-air before being tackled by two crew members, The Sun Online can reveal.
A terrified fellow passenger told how the 25-year-old woman “had her hands on exit door” before cabin crew dragged her to the ground.
Amy Varol, who sat two rows behind, said: “The woman was walking down the aisle when she literally ran to the exit door.
“She had her hands on the handle trying to open it.
“Luckily there were two cabin crew there who pulled off the door.”
Two RAF Typhoon fighters were scrambled to intercept the Airbus 321 and escort it back to Stansted Airport as she allegedly threatened to kill passengers.
Our exclusive video shows the “intoxicated” woman being pinned to a seat by six cabin crew and passengers, then being led away by cops amid the mid-air panic.
Police said a 25-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assault an endangering an aircraft after landing in Essex at 5.49pm on Saturday.
Terrified passengers told The Sun Online how a woman in her 20s tried to “rush the cockpit” 45 minutes into the flight from Stansted to Dalaman, Turkey.
Ms Varol, a 24-year-old community care worker, said: “This lady who was clearly intoxicated gets called to the front of the plane and she starts shouting and screaming and runs to the plane door.
“The cabin crew grabbed her to stop her and then she starts scratching them and hitting them.
“She then got pinned to the floor by cabin crew and passengers and a passenger even sat on her.”
Ms varol, from Herts, said the woman made threats to other passengers and staff.
She said: “She kept getting up and running back towards the door.
“She had six people sitting on her. We had to fly back to Stansted for the police to get her.
“She kept singing songs and screaming she’s gonna kill us, ‘I want to get off’, ‘I’m gonna f****** hit you’ ‘f***** come on then’.
“I was terrified. There’s nothing you can do, you can’t escape.”
Stewart Brown, who was six rows behind, said a woman in her early 20s started to irritate passengers as soon as they took off.
The 36-year-old mobile DJ told The Sun Online: “The air stewards did their best to calm her down.
“She seemed absolutely fine before takeoff but then strangely very drunk or drugged as we took off.
“The stewards gave her several chances and did the best they could before she became abusive and then made a dash for the cockpit and had to be restrained by staff and passengers.
“We had to turn round and police removed her off the plane.”
A Jet2 spokesman said: “We are aware of an incident regarding an extremely disruptive passenger on a flight from Stansted to Dalaman earlier this evening.
“The aircraft has returned safely and we are liaising with the relevant authorities to support their investigation.
“We are working hard to ensure the remaining customers reach their destination as soon possible.”
Many people living near Stansted phoned police to report a loud noise they though could be an explosion.
One man described the noise as a “huge bang” which “nearly blew my window out”.
Twitter users said their windows rattled and tellys shook as far away as Chelmsford 18 miles away and even Ilford in East London, around 40 miles from the airport.
Police in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, tweeted: “Large number of 999 calls coming in about a loud explosion.
“We have liaised with @EssexPoliceUK who are confirming that this is a sonic boom from a passing aircraft.”
A sonic boom is created when supersonic aircraft accelerate through the sound barrier – which is banned over land except in emergencies.
A Royal Air Force spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that RAF quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby scrambled to escort a commercial flight into Standard shortly after take-off due to reports of a disruptive passenger.”
Essex Police said: “We were made aware of a disruptive passenger on an inbound flight to Stansted this evening, Saturday, June 22.
“There is a possibility that residents nearby may have heard a loud noise, often associated with a sonic boom, as the aircraft descended into Stansted airspace.
“Officers attended and arrested a 25-year-old woman on suspicion of two assaults and endangering an aircraft.
“She remains in custody.”
The drama was said to have caused minor delays at Stansted but a spokesman said the airport was operating normally.
Meanwhile football manager Sam Allardyce was among hundreds of passengers stuck in huge delays after an IT meltdown at Manchester Airport.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
