Tragic Airplane Mishaps in 2023

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An estimated 34.4 million flights were scheduled to take off this year and most of them went entirely smoothly. But here are a few that didnt:

Did you pack this bag yourself?

The rules for carry-on and checked bags are clear: no flammable items, long blades, or liquids over 3.4 ounces. Despite this, some passengers continue to disregard these rules in more creative ways. For example, instead of being caught with a regular knife or firearm, individuals have been found with an Irish shillelagh club, a multi-use "vampire straw" for self-defense, or even a 24-carat gold-plated handgun, like the US woman arrested in Sydney.

Animal matter that is considered contraband, whether alive or not, is strictly prohibited. Despite this, items such as giant African snails and a dolphin skull were confiscated at Detroit Metropolitan Airport this year, and customs seized a box of giraffe poop at a Minnesota airport. However, the most notable incident occurred in January when a four-foot boa constrictor was found stuffed into someone's carry-on luggage - a clear violation of regulations.

Trouble before takeoff

Before embarking on a trip, always ensure you have everything you need. This includes not forgetting your baby at the check-in desk, something a couple did in Tel Aviv, Israel in February. It also means not departing with passengers watching from the runway after take-off, as occurred in Bengalaru, India, or taking off without the checked luggage, as seen in Zurich, Switzerland.

Still, should you experience a lengthy delay on the ground, there is a chance that things may take a positive turn. For example, in June, a man from North Carolina waited through an 18-hour delay and was eventually rewarded with an entire plane to himself.

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This man waited 18 hours, then had a plane to himself. See what it was like

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Please remain seated

In 2023, the United States saw a higher frequency of unruly passenger incidents compared to pre-Covid times, although the numbers were lower than the peak in 2021, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Instances included a Delta passenger opening a door and sliding down the emergency exit slide at Los Angeles International Airport, men getting into a physical altercation on a Southwest plane in Dallas, Texas, a woman hitting a flight attendant with an intercom phone on a Frontier Airlines flight in Denver, Colorado, and a Southwest passenger opening an emergency exit and climbing out of the plane while it was still at the gate, requiring airport workers to subdue the individual.

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Hear passenger explain why he got into fistfight on plane

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Air travel disruptions were not limited to issues before takeoff. Several flights from France to Michigan, Michigan to Florida, Florida to Washington, DC, and Sydney to Kuala Lumpur had to divert or return mid-flight due to unruly passengers. Some incidents, such as a Massachusetts man attempting to stab a flight attendant with a broken metal spoon and a man in South Korea opening an emergency door before landing, received significant attention for their alarming nature. The South Korean man, who confessed to wanting to exit the plane quickly, later tested positive for drugs.

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Man sitting next to passenger who opened door mid-flight speaks out

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Animal encounters

We have all experienced flight delays, but it is rare for them to be caused by a bear escaping in the cargo hold, as seen in Dubai, or a swarm of bees that delayed a Houston-Atlanta flight for three hours.

In November, a Boeing 747 heading to Belgium had to turn back when a horse escaped on board. And in April, bird strikes were linked to a fire on an American Airlines plane. However, the 2023 bravery award goes to South African pilot Rudolf Erasmus, who safely landed his small aircraft after feeling a venomous stowaway cobra slithering on his body mid-flight.

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Deadly cobra slithers up pilot's shirt during flight

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Medical emergencies

There was - excuse the turn of phrase - a surprising streak of human-waste-related incidents on planes in 2023.

In June, Habib Battah, an airline passenger, was given wet wipes to clean up blood and excrement in his seat's footwell on an Air France flight from Paris to Toronto. In late August, two passengers on an Air Canada flight from Las Vegas to Montreal were instructed to sit in seats that were still soaked with vomit from a prior flight. Just a week later, a Delta flight from Atlanta to Barcelona was forced to turn around after a passenger experienced diarrhea throughout the entire airplane.

The remarkable run ended with an incident on an easyJet flight from Tenerife to London Gatwick, which had already been delayed, being canceled due to the discovery of feces on the bathroom floor. One passenger described it as "a very uncomfortable experience," to CNN.

There were also life-threatening health emergencies this year. In March, an off-duty pilot on a Southwest Airlines flight from Ohio to Las Vegas assisted after one of the on-duty pilots fell ill mid-flight. Then in July, a passenger took control and successfully crash-landed a small plane at Marthas Vineyard Airport when the pilot suffered a medical condition.

Mishaps and misadventure

Getting locked out is never a good day, especially when you're a pilot and have to climb in through the cockpit window because a passenger accidentally shut the flight deck door. In May, a passenger who captured the incident in photos praised the pilot for going "above and beyond."

In March, two pilots from the Indian low-cost airline Spicejet were grounded for reportedly consuming hot drinks and pastries inside the cockpit, which could have posed serious safety risks if something had spilled. Additionally, in November, a plane departed from a London airport with two windows missing, a damage that went unnoticed by the crew until the aircraft had already reached at least 14,000 feet before turning around.

The battle for accessibility

Many of us don't think twice about the ease of air travel, but for individuals with disabilities or limited mobility, unpleasant experiences on planes are all too frequent. While there has been improvement, we still have a ways to go before every passenger receives the quality service they deserve.

In November, Air Canada issued an apology to customers with disabilities for not providing consistent and convenient service. This came after a wheelchair user made headlines worldwide for sharing his experience of having to drag himself off a flight. According to the non-profit Paralyzed Veterans of America, airline workers damaged, delayed, or lost more than 31 wheelchairs per day between 2019 and 2022. This concerning trend was highlighted by a viral video from November showing a baggage handler releasing a passenger's wheelchair, causing it to slide down a jet bridge chute, flip over, and crash into the airport apron. American Airlines announced that they were reviewing the footage.

Larger-sized travelers have expressed frustration over what they perceive as biased and unclear airline seating policies that result in them paying more for the same accommodations as other passengers. This issue gained widespread attention in December due to viral TikTok videos highlighting Southwest Airlines' inclusive "customer of size" policy for passengers who do not fit comfortably in standard airline seats.