Josh Longood, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, says he was on a Frontier flight to Chicago when he sprung into action as a man allegedly tried to open an exit door mid-flight22:28, 02 Jun 2026A former MMA fighter says he came to the rescue after a plane passenger allegedly tried to open an exit door mid-flight.‌Josh Longood was heading home to Chicago from his brother's bachelor party in Puerto Rico on May 31 when another passenger is said to have assaulted a flight attendant and attempted to open the emergency exit door on the Frontier plane.‌But the 37-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt sprung into action, using his martial arts training to restrain the man for about 10 minutes - and then was called on a second time when the passenger slipped his restraints. Josh controlled him for 20 to 30 minutes until the plane made an emergency landing in Miami.‌A medical device salesman by day, he is a competitive BJJ black belt and a former MMA fighter - so was clearly the right man to hold the person back. He told how he is a light sleeper and took in what was happening only a few rows away from him on the plane.He first noticed how the other passenger was acting erratically. "He was just talking and acting crazy," he said. "I could tell he wasn't going to calm down, so I just kept an eye on him because there were females and young kids around."‌Josh claimed a person went to pick up his bag that was next to him, and that's when the man allegedly attacked."I immediately responded and safely positioned him to where he couldn't hurt anyone," he said. "I'm just thankful I was seated close to him, so I was able to resolve the situation without anyone getting injured. It was my years of BJJ training that helped me stay calm and handle the situation."He said he would do it again if need be. "I'm confident in my training and abilities to handle real-life situations like these," he said.‌A Frontier spokeswoman confirmed there was an incident where Flight 3345 to Chicago had to be diverted due to a disruptive passenger.She told The Mirror: "On Sunday, May 31, a passenger on flight 3345 from San Juan to Chicago O’Hare became disruptive and the flight was diverted to Miami. Law enforcement boarded the aircraft in Miami and removed the passenger and the flight subsequently continued on to Chicago a few hours later."Last month, a United Airlines flight was forced to divert following a mid-air emergency when a passenger allegedly tried to open a door.‌There were 145 passengers and six crew members on board the plane heading from Newark Liberty International Airport to Guatemala City when the pilot took the decision to divert due to an unruly passenger.Police met Flight 1551 when the Boeing 737-8 MAX landed safely at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.It is physically impossible for a passenger to open a commercial airplane door at cruising altitude due to mechanical locks and atmospheric pressure.Article continues belowModern commercial airliners are designed with "plug-type" doors which means the door is physically larger than the opening frame it fits into, similar to a drain plug in a bath. To open the door, it must first be pulled slightly inward before it can be rotated or pushed outward and this would not be possible due to the pressure in the air.