Plane diverted after man tries to open emergency exit mid-air

An AirTran flight from Baltimore to Austin was diverted to Memphis when a passenger tried to open an emergency exit during the flight.

According to My Fox Austin, the flight carrying 120 passengers on Monday, made the emergency landing after flight attendants quickly noticed what the man was doing.

Four uniformed military personnel helped escort him back to his seat and swapped seats with other passengers so they could sit near the man until the pilot could get the plane on the ground.

In an email to WREG, a spokesman for AirTran's subsidiary Southwest Airlines, said: "AirTran flight 265 from BWI I AUS safely diverted to MEM this evening. I also understand there was an unruly Customer among the 120 onboard (+ crew of 5)."

John Greaud, the vice president of operations at the Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority, said the man was not especially unruly and authorities do not believe he was intoxicated.

After the flight landed, the man was removed and the plane continued to Austin.

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