Incident Overview
A passenger aboard an airplane sustained fatal injuries after exiting the aircraft through an emergency exit during flight. The emergency exit door was located on the right side of the cabin, between a right rear single seat and a rear pair of seats, and was hinged along the edge toward the nose of the airplane. Opening the door in flight would have required significant force to overcome wind pressure.
Witness Accounts
Passengers seated immediately ahead of the emergency exit reported hearing a loud sound resembling rushing air behind them, which they recognized as abnormal. One passenger felt wind and turned to look over his right shoulder. He observed the deceased passenger with her shoulders out of the door. Her left arm passed over his head, and he grabbed her coat at her left wrist. He attempted to secure a better hold but could only see her dark coat and arm. He felt a tug, and the passenger slipped from his grasp and fell clear of the aircraft.
Post-Incident Examination
Following the incident, officers from the San Jose Police Department, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the investigator-in-charge (IIC) from the Safety Board examined the aircraft after FBI personnel completed a forensic analysis of the cabin. A red cover inscribed with the word "LIFT" in white letters covered the emergency exit door's operating handle. Lifting this cover revealed a handle that required noticeable force to rotate approximately 45 degrees clockwise. Rotation moved a 1/2-inch diameter metal rod about 1 inch from the latched to the unlatched position. The latch receptacle in the airframe showed no deformities. The IIC locked and unlocked the door several times and detected no malfunctions.
Passenger Background and Toxicology
The victim's husband informed the FBI that the day before the incident, his wife had scheduled an appointment for counseling later that week. Toxicological tests on the deceased passenger found no ethanol or other drug substances. The coroner's office classified the death as a suicide.