Overview
- On a flight from Atlanta to Chicago on Monday, passenger Thomas W. Ryan partially opened a cabin door during a long taxi delay, and the captain returned to the gate as the slide did not deploy.
- A federal complaint accuses Ryan of interfering with the flight crew, and a magistrate judge found probable cause for the charge.
- On a separate Miami to Atlanta flight the same day, police arrested Shannon Marie Harris after she refused to end a phone call during taxi and then declined to leave the aircraft at the gate.
- Delta said both disruptions delayed departures, confirmed no injuries in the door case, and noted the Chicago-bound jet left after a maintenance inspection.
- The FAA opened an investigation into the Atlanta door incident during a rise in 2026 disturbance reports, and the agency warns violators can face steep fines or criminal cases.