An artist from Nantucket found herself in a whirlwind of shock when a plane door unexpectedly swung open mid-flight. Lizbet Carroll Fuller, who was on her way from her luxurious Nantucket home to a family funeral in Virginia, experienced this alarming incident on a Cape Air flight early Monday morning.
Fuller, 62, was making a stop in Boston when, just ten minutes after takeoff, the unexpected occurred. “There was just like a rush of noise and air,” she shared with the Boston Globe. “Then you register, wow, that just flew open right next to me.”
The pilot’s poise made a significant impression on Fuller and the other passengers. Despite the startling situation, the pilot remained calm and reassured everyone onboard. “The pilot turned around and smiled and she just said everyone sit tight, we are all fine,” Fuller recounted.
On Thursday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed to the Daily Mail that the crew had reported the passenger door opening as the flight was en route to Boston Logan International Airport. This episode highlights the importance of calm leadership in managing unexpected in-flight occurrences.
‘The pilot turned around and smiled and she just said everyone sit tight, we are all fine,’ Fuller said.
The Federal Aviation Administration told the Daily Mail on Thursday morning that the flight’s crew had reported a passenger door opening during the flight as it traveled to Boston Logan International Airport.
The FAA confirmed that it was investigating the incident and directed further questions to Cape Air.
The plane returned safely to Nantucket Memorial Airport around 7.15am and passengers were ushered onto a different plane to complete their trip.
The Federal Aviation Administration told the Daily Mail that the flight crew ‘reported a passenger door opened during flight’ and that the incident was being investigated
Lizbet Carroll Fuller, 62, was on her way to Virginia for a family funeral when she captured footage of the door suddenly popping open
Several passengers, including Fuller, thanked the plane’s pilot for calming their fears amid the terrifying experience
Fuller, who lives in a Nantucket home valued at about $1.6million, described the experience as ‘nerve-wracking even though I’m smiling.’
‘Nothing like a little surprise wake up early in the morning!’ she told the Nantucket Current.
Fuller’s sister, Sheila Fee, was seated across from her and appeared in the mid-flight video, smiling in apparent disbelief.
‘The window just popped open and the wind came rushing in and we, like, everybody was just kind of stunned,’ Fee told NBC 10 Boston.
Fee said the experience reinforced her dislike of flying and also thanked the pilot for calming her nerves.
‘I don’t really like to fly, but her reaction right away was the only reason where I’m like, ‘Okay, this is not gonna be my day,’ Fee told the outlet.
Fuller, however, said that the incident ‘wasn’t a total surprise’ to them.
‘We were sitting in the back and we watched the door,’ she said. ‘The door latch was a little funky.’
On its website, Cape Air has said that the Cessna 402 plane, which typically sits nine passengers, is the ‘workhorse’ of its fleet.Â
Fuller said the experience was ‘nerve-wracking’ and said the door opening was preceded by a ‘rush of noise and air’
Fuller (pictured) and the rest of the passengers returned to Nantucket around 7.15am and were subsequently taken to another plane to complete their trip
The harrowing experience did nothing to dissuade the sisters from getting right back on the plane once they returned to Nantucket.
‘We got back on the horse right away,’ they told NBC 10 Boston.
Another passenger on the Cape Air flight, Lexi Hitchcock, recalled the terrifying event and also credited the pilot for assuaging her fears.
‘The pilot was amazing, that’s all I have to say,’ Hitchcock told the Nantucket Current. ‘As soon as the door opened she said it was okay and no need to worry.’
She said the door suddenly blasting open ‘sounded like a massive gust of wind.’
‘The pilot did not panic but safely brought us back around the island to land,’ Hitchcock said.
She estimated that the plane kept flying for ‘about six to eight minutes’ with the door still open.
‘Scary and chilly for sure,’ Hitchcock added.
Sheila Fee, Fuller’s sister, said she was ‘stunned’ when the door suddenly swung open and thanked the pilot for assuaging her fears
Cape Air said the plane involved in the incident was a Cessna 402 (file picture of a different Cessna 402 operating for the airline) and that it had since ‘been taken out of service’
Cape Air said that Flight 5001 had ‘experienced an issue in which the upper portion of the main cabin door opened while in flight.’
‘The aircraft was at a stable altitude and operated normally,’ the airline told the Cape Cod Times.
Cape Air added: ‘The flight crew returned to [Nantucket], and the aircraft landed safely without further incident.’
The Cessna 402 involved in the incident ‘has been taken out of service for further evaluation,’ according to the airline.
Nantucket Airport commended ‘the calm and professional actions of the Cape Air pilot who safely maneuvered the flight back … due to an issue with the cabin door occurring shortly after departure to Boston,’ its manager Warren Smith told the outlet.
‘While no emergency was declared, [Nantucket Airport] emergency response closely monitored the flight back to the airport and was ready to provide immediate assistance,’ Smith added.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Fuller, Cape Air and Nantucket Memorial Airport for further comment.
