A recent transpacific All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight was a bit more eventful than most passengers were probably hoping for, after a diversion became necessary…
In this post:
Tokyo to Houston flight diverts to Seattle after chaos
This incident happened on Saturday, May 24, 2025, and involves ANA flight NH14, scheduled to operate from Tokyo (HND) to Houston (IAH). The 6,677-mile flight was operated by a Boeing 787-9 with the registration code JA934A, and typically takes somewhere around 11-12 hours.
The Pacific crossing was reportedly uneventful, with the excitement starting around nine hours into the flight, after the plane made landfall, flying over Washington and Idaho. At that point, a passenger reportedly jumped up and tried to open the emergency exit, without any sort of warning.
Fortunately there were two military veterans seated nearby, who dragged him away from the exit, and pinned him down, so that he was restrained. The crew and the two men then used zip ties to restrain the guy.
Of course the decision was made to divert, and the plane headed toward the nearest major international airport, which was Seattle Tacoma (SEA). The plane landed there around 45 minutes after the incident, at around 4:20AM.
At that point, police boarded the aircraft, and the man was removed from the plane. Video footage shows this interaction, and the officers acting calmly. While the man involved in the incident hasn’t been identified, airport officials said that the suspect had a “medical episode,” and he was transported to a nearby hospital.
Oddly, during the diversion, another passenger onboard also became unruly and started acting strange, and he was removed as well.
The plane ended up taking off from Seattle at 7:04AM, after a little over 2.5 hours on the ground, to continue its journey to Houston. The plane touched down there at 12:42PM, roughly four hours after its scheduled 8:45AM arrival.
The good news and bad news from this incident
The good news with incidents like this is that there’s limited direct risk from someone trying to open an emergency exit during a flight. That’s because an emergency exit door can’t be opened in the middle of the flight, due to the pressure difference between inside the cabin and outside.
An emergency exit could only realistically be opened at a lower altitude, when the pressurization difference isn’t as big, and at that point the plane is also flying slower, and the risk is lower. Of course it goes without saying that seeing something like this is terrifying, regardless of the direct risk.
The bad news is that we’re seeing people try to open emergency exits with an alarming frequency in recent times. I don’t know if I’d describe these as “copycat” incidents, or what, since it’s not like this is ever successful.
However, it’s sad how the concept of strong passengers having to jump into action and restraint others seems to be on the rise. We’re not worried about terrorism on an airliner in the traditional sense, but there is reason to be concerned with these constant mental health situations.
Bottom line
An ANA Boeing 787 flying from Tokyo to Houston diverted to Seattle, after a man tried to open the emergency exit door at altitude. Fortunately he was quickly restrained and zip tied, and then removed at the diversion point. While the direct risk of this is limited (due to the pressurization difference between the inside and outside of the cabin), it’s still terrifying that this is becoming a pretty common occurrence.
Unbelievable story — it’s hard to imagine someone managing to open an emergency exit mid-flight. Huge credit to the crew for handling it safely. Aviation security is more critical than ever.
Bingo! JA934A is technically owned and operated by Air Japan. Basically you can only get into ANA as cabin crew if you're newly graduated and young enough. If you come from another airline, gave birth, you're tier-two riff-raff and Air Japan is the organization that'll take you. Different contracts and presumably lower pay. Air Japan is also where you might see non-Japanese pilots.
ANA's been doing this for years - Air Japan is a strategy...
Bingo! JA934A is technically owned and operated by Air Japan. Basically you can only get into ANA as cabin crew if you're newly graduated and young enough. If you come from another airline, gave birth, you're tier-two riff-raff and Air Japan is the organization that'll take you. Different contracts and presumably lower pay. Air Japan is also where you might see non-Japanese pilots.
ANA's been doing this for years - Air Japan is a strategy where they reduce their cost base. From where I live, the HND flights are ANA mainline and NRT flights are operated by Air Japan. This cost-cutting was so successful intra-Asia that ANA now openly, brazenly does this on the most lucrative US flights like these.
But I would question if there's a little difference in competence in things like language skills and IRROPS and incidents like these. The last time this happened where a white guy bit a flight attendant, was also on a flight operated by Air Japan. That's for you to consider; I am personally not giving ANA my business ;)
I did notice a drop-off in quality for my ANA flights operated by Air Japan like on CGK.
Well to be honest, 6 hours into any flight longer than 7 hours would drive anyone to wanting to get off...
I am "in the business," and have repeated over and over that I have observed people who are obviously impaired, either due to mental illness or intoxicating substances, and everybody just kind of "looks the other way."
An out of control person in an hermetically sealed metal tube at 35 000 feet. What could possibly go wrong?
People are not entitled to be a danger to themselves or others.
But, there is...
I am "in the business," and have repeated over and over that I have observed people who are obviously impaired, either due to mental illness or intoxicating substances, and everybody just kind of "looks the other way."
An out of control person in an hermetically sealed metal tube at 35 000 feet. What could possibly go wrong?
People are not entitled to be a danger to themselves or others.
But, there is always the risk of a gate agent or flight attendant now having another pretext to go on a power trip.
Why do you need to divert when the person is restrained?
What is the threat that is not contained?
Avoiding lawyers if anything should go wrong. This is 'Murrica we're talking about.
Seriously "if anything should go wrong"?
What can a restrained person do to make things go wrong?
A toxic fart that incapacitate the pilots?
Agree. They should have at least knocked him unconscious which would be best for other passengers and the unruly person.
Minor detail - HND-IAH is NH114, not NH14.
Good catch!
Has anyone followed up on these various medical episodes (trying to open doors, spraying on other passengers etc) to see if there are any common causes.
Alcohol per se doesn't seem quite enough of an explanation.
Is it side-effects of melatonin, piriton, or other pills that passengers are taking to help them sleep?
Or forgetting to take prescription medicine that keeps E.g. paranoias in check due to the disorientation of flying?
“Covid vaccines are to blame!” rant in 5….4……3…..
Early reports is that the 2nd unrelated passenger was arrested but not the first crazy passenger.
It seems that it was not such a dire emergency to land in Boise.
From where they were, SEA was the best option. ANA has no existing operations in BOI so had the flight been unable to continue in a timely manner, that would have complicated matters for the passengers immensely. Spending what maybe amounted to a few extra extra minutes airborne seems reasonable to land somewhere you know you can get the ground support you need.
That is true. If a dire emergency, BOI. If an urgent situation, SEA.
What was gained by diverting to Seattle rather than having the police meet the 'plane in Houston?
Passengers were certainly more inconvenienced by diversion than continuing.
I don’t think leaving a pax zip-tied for another 3 hours in the custody of civilians is a good idea.
What about Denver, with ANA's Star Alliance partner United to help out if necessary?
They were nearly twice the distance to DEN as to SEA.
They were just as close to Salt Lake City as they were to Seattle, and that was in the direction of Houston. They didn't divert to the nearest major international airport, they diverted to the nearest one where they had a base. Which probably made operational sense, while costing some fuel and further delay for passengers.