More accurately, the differential air pressure between the cabin and the exterior prevents the door from opening, whether crew approves or not. Unless they depressurize the cabin.
More accurately, the differential air pressure between the cabin and the exterior prevents the door from opening, whether crew approves or not. Unless they depressurize the cabin.
My niece, who is a new flight attendant, says there is an electrical door lock on the plane type she flies (don’t remember what kind, off hand). It is fail safe, in that if power fails in an emergency, the door unlocks automatically.
Cabin pressure is typically about equal to air pressure at 8,000 feet. Below that elevation, internal and external pressures are equalized, and only the lock mechanisms keep the (inward-opening) door from opening.
Sounds to me like he had some training (terrorist or Internet) and thought he could defeat the plane design.
The shoe bomber and underwear bomber were not trying to blow the plane to smithereens, just to damage it enough that natural forces at 300 mph+ would do the rest.