On Sunday evening, October 5, a 
United Airlines passenger was arrested after attempting to open a cabin door while the aircraft was taxiing at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The incident occurred shortly after United flight 788 arrived at the airport around 18:30. The attempt was unsuccessful but caused the Boeing 737-800’s emergency slide to deploy.
Houston police identified the passenger as 20-year-old Arturo Martinez of Edinburg, Texas. He is now facing charges of criminal mischief in connection with the incident. No injuries were reported, and passengers were later transported by bus to the terminal.
United Airlines Passenger Arrested After Triggering Emergency Slide
The Boeing 737-800, registered N35271, was operating a regular United service from Indianapolis to Houston. After touchdown at 
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, a passenger in the forward cabin attempted to open the aircraft’s front door during taxi. The attempt did not succeed, but because the door was still armed after landing, the emergency slide deployed. According to air traffic control audio obtained by a local news outlet KHOU, the pilots immediately shut down the engines and requested emergency assistance.
“We’re gonna shut down the engines… we had a passenger open up the forward cabin door on deceleration so we’re gonna shut ’em down here,” the captain said. “If we could get crash, fire, rescue, airstairs, and the police out here that’d be great.” Emergency crews and Houston police met the aircraft on the taxiway, and the situation was quickly brought under control. United confirmed the flight landed safely, and airport operations continued without disruption.
Why Aircraft Doors Can’t Open Mid-Flight, And Why They Sometimes Can On The Ground
Unfortunately, unruly passenger incidents are on the rise, and in many cases, these involve attempts to open aircraft emergency doors. As we know that airliners are pressurized so passengers can breathe comfortably at high altitudes, the same system also keeps the doors sealed in flight. There is no mechanical lock or code preventing them from being opened; rather, the pressure differential between the inside and outside makes it physically impossible.
Once an aircraft descends or lands, however, that difference equalizes, removing the pressure barrier that holds the doors closed in flight. At that point, while aircraft doors are still armed, they can technically be opened, which is why such incidents occasionally occur on the ground rather than in the air. For instance, back in 2023, a passenger aboard an Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 opened an exit door at roughly 700 feet while the aircraft was on final approach to Daegu, South Korea.
The door opened fully, allowing outside air to rush in and causing panic among passengers. Twelve people were treated for minor injuries from hyperventilation, and the passenger was arrested upon landing. On aircraft like the Boeing 737, cabin pressure during takeoff and landing is around 0.125 psi (nearly equal to the outside air), meaning there is no pressure seal holding the doors shut. Because the slides remain armed until the aircraft reaches the gate, any attempt to open a door during taxi will automatically deploy them.
Unintentional Slide Deployments Can Cost Airlines Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars
Furthermore, such emergency slide deployments are rare but costly, both in terms of repairs and operational disruption. Repacking and testing a deployed slide typically costs thousands of dollars, with additional inspection and component replacement pushing the total to several tens of thousands of dollars. The resulting flight delays can add further expenses, depending on where and when the incident occurs.
In recent years, several cases have occurred. Earlier this year, a 
Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-300ER operating flight 520 from New York JFK to Los Angeles lost an emergency slide during climb-out. The aircraft returned safely to JFK with all 176 passengers and seven crew members unharmed. According to Delta, the crew followed standard procedures and completed the landing without incident.
In a separate 2023 occurrence, another Delta Boeing 767 diverted to Salt Lake City after a maintenance issue, where an emergency slide was accidentally deployed inside the aircraft. Passengers reported hearing a loud noise followed by screams from a flight attendant, and the airline later confirmed the deployment was inadvertent, reportedly caused during ground servicing.
