EXCLUSIVE Incredible true story of the escaped felon who hid out in a Toys 'R' Us store for months... and inspired Channing Tatum's latest blockbuster
It was the Sunday before Thanksgiving, 2004, and there was a recent addition to Pastor Ron Smith's congregation at Crossroads Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Smith asked the man, who introduced himself as John, whether he was spending the big day with friends and family - adding that, if not, John was welcome to join him and his wife.
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Pilot reveals what would really happen if the emergency exit door gets opened mid-flight
While the scenario of an emergency exit door being yanked open mid-flight is a major fear for nervous flyers, one pilot has revealed exactly what happens when it occurs. Emergency exits are strategically placed throughout the aircraft to enable quick and efficient evacuation for all passengers, regardless of their seating location. While it's rare, there have been instances in recent years of passengers - or even flight attendants - opening emergency doors on airplanes on the ground or in mid-air. But American Airlines First Officer, Steve Scheibner, long-haul pilot, Pascal Cooney, and former airline pilot and aviation expert, Dan Bubb, have revealed the truth about what happens once the 'forbidden' door handle is turned at 35,000 feet. According to Bubb, when an emergency exit door is opened while the plane is stationed on the group and unpressurised, it will result in the door opening and an inflatable slide deploying. This is what happened in the infamous JetBlue Steven Slater incident in 2010, where the flight attendant quit his job in style and used the emergency exit to activate the slide and depart the plane following a confrontation with a passenger. Plug-type emergency exits on aircraft are designed to fit snugly into the door frame, creating a seal that is strengthened by the pressure difference between the interior and exterior of the aircraft. These doors are equipped with hardware like vertical rod and rim exit devices to ensure they stay securely closed under pressure. But if the plane is on the ground and accelerates up to a speed of 80 knots - equivalent to roughly 92 miles per hour - a mechanism on the doors locks, meaning they cannot be opened. Once the plane is in the air, it's virtually impossible to open an emergency door mid-flight due to the cabin's pressurisation. The pressure inside the cabin is significantly higher than the pressure outside at cruising altitude, creating a force that keeps the doors securely sealed. This pressure differential makes it physically impossible for a human to overcome the force holding the door closed. As reported by Reader's Digest, Steve Scheibner explained, 'Once this door gets pressurised in flight, it's nine pounds per square inch.' Fellow long-haul pilot, Pascal Cooney, who goes by @pascalklr on YouTube, said in a clip: 'We pressurise our aircraft to a lower altitude so that you guys can breathe. The inside pressure pushes the door in its frame.' While it's physically near-impossible to open emergency doors in the air, there have been documented cases of passengers hijacking planes and even jumping out of exits mid-flight. In 1972, a man named D.B. Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, demanding four parachutes and $200,000 (£146,070) in ransom. After the plane landed in Seattle, he released the passengers and crew, refueled, and then, while flying towards Mexico, he parachuted out of the plane with the ransom money. Cooper was never found nor seen of again. Many passengers have also attempted to open doors mid-flight and whilst on the runway. A manic passenger was wrestled into a seat after trying to open the emergency exit mid-flight and threatening to kill all onboard a All Nippon Airways plane in May. In April, a flight headed to Melbourne was forced to turn around after a woman tried to open the aircraft door at 30,000 ft as the plane flew over the Indian Ocean. Budget airline JetStar said in a statement that flight JQ-34 had to return to Denpasar airport in Bali after a 'disruptive passenger' attempted to force the plane door open mid-air. In most cases, opening an emergency door mid-flight would lead to arrest, with specific charges and potential prison sentences depending on various factors, such as whether anyone was harmed or damage had been caused to the aircraft. Steven Slater, for example, escaped a prison sentence of seven years after being charged with a string of offences - including reckless endangerment and criminal mischief. However, the former JetBlue flight attendant was made to pay his old airline employer $10,000 (£7,303) in restitution to make up for some of the cost of his spectacular exit. In April, AirAsia X passenger, Shadi Taiseer Alsaaydeh, was charged with two counts of endangering the safety of an aircraft, as well as one count of assaulting crew members, when he attempted to open the plane's emergency doors several times. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years behind bars. He was restrained by crew members and passengers with one worker allegedly assaulted in the process.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
US city declares 12-year-old boy a hero for saving his family from house fire
A city in Virginia has awarded a hero's proclamation to a 12-year-old boy who rescued his grandmother and two younger siblings from a fire that burned their house down recently. The courage that Ramir Parker demonstrated when confronted with the blaze 'is a shining example of resilience, responsibility and the power of instinctive leadership in our youth', said the proclamation that officials in Petersburg gave to the local seventh-grade student. Ramir's story gained attention among corners of the internet dedicated to spotlighting positive news. As he put it in an interview with the Virginia news station WTVR, Ramir heard a strange noise in his family's home on 3 June, went downstairs and realized there was 'black smoke all throughout the house'. Ramir ran directly to a couch where his brothers – aged one and two – were sleeping on opposite ends and 'picked both of them up' as the fire that had broken out quickly spread, he recalled to WTVR. 'I fitted them inside my arms and … ran outside the house,' Ramir added. Not everyone was out of danger yet, however. The boy knew his grandmother was still in the home at that point. So he ran back inside, navigated the thick smoke to find his grandmother, and helped lead her to safety as the fire raged. By the time local firefighters arrived, which was within four minutes of being called, Ramir had already gotten everybody out of the house, Petersburg fire chief Wayne Hoover told WTVR. 'The bottom line – he saved his family's life,' Hoover said of the boy. An investigation later determined a downstairs electrical problem ignited the fire. Images published online showed how the blaze – which investigators determined was accidental – had destroyed Ramir's family's home. Subsequently, at a local government meeting on 17 June, Petersburg's mayor, Samuel Parham, gave Ramir a proclamation declaring him a municipal hero because of how 'critical' his 'swift response was in preserving life and minimizing harm'. A statement from the city's government noted that those who were at the meeting gave the boy a standing ovation for what the proclamation described as 'a level of bravery and presence of mind well beyond his years'. The proclamation offered 'deepest gratitude and admiration for his bravery and selfless actions in the face of danger'. 'The city … recognizes Ramir Parker in celebration of his remarkable heroism and in acknowledgment of the inspiration he provides to our entire community,' the proclamation also said. Hoover, meanwhile, told WTVR that Ramir had a job waiting for him at the Petersburg fire department as soon as the boy turns 18 and legally becomes an adult. Petersburg has about 33,500 residents and is about 20 miles (32km) south of Virginia's capital, Richmond. The station asked Ramir about risking it all before first responders' arrival to save his siblings and grandmother. 'It's my little brothers – I don't care,' Ramir said. ''Cause the only thing that matters is I got my little brothers out of the house – and my grandma.'
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Pension firm wants me to pay £2,500 to get at my £66,000 nest egg
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