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Medicated Sleepwalker Mistakes Exit Door for Bathroom


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What: US Airways/ Air Wisconsin Canadair CRJ-200 en route from Portland Maine to Philadelphia
Where: Boston
When: May 10th 2012
Who: 50 passengers and 3 crew
Why: A passenger with a history of seizures and on medication attempted to open the door while en route.

The disruptive passenger was caught by a flight attendant, who stopped him. He told her he was going to the bathroom. The attendant led him to a seat in the rear of the plane where state police found him. Other passengers may have been upset or frightened by the incident, but under normal conditions, it’s not physically possible to open the door while in flight anyway.

Pilots diverted the flight to Boston where the disruptive passenger was offloaded, presumably by gentlemen in white coats.

Michael Ensalaco, 40, of Mooresville, N.C was charged with interfering with a flight crew. His lawyer explained that his seizure disorder is similar to sleep walking.

In George’s Point of View

While a medical event should not be handled in the same way as a malicious act, perhaps someone with this tendency should not fly, or else they should not sleep during the flight, and also be obligated to inform the flight crew ahead of time. It could happen to anyone taking Ambien!

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