Pilots of the Baltimore AirTran bound flight to Austin, Texas had no choice but to make an unscheduled landing in Memphis, Tennessee, last Monday evening after a distraught passenger tried to open an emergency exit while the plane was in flight. The plane was over Little Rock, Arkansas when the incident occurred.

At around 6:30 in the evening , AirTran Flight 265 landed in Memphis, the closest AirTrans airport,  and passengers were requested to get off the plane in order to be interviewed by authorities. While the passengers were leaving the plane one by one, employees of the plane stayed behind and checked the emergency exit door that was at the back of the plane to make sure that it is secure and safe

The unidentified man who caused the unscheduled landing, who some of the passengers seemed "suicidal" was ushered outside the plane by airport police. He was kept in custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Transportation Security Authority for evaluation. Charges are yet to be filed against the unidentified man who caused the unscheduled landing. The United States Attorney's Office in Memphis declined to comment regarding the incident.

Passengers who witnessed the odd behavior of the man relayed that the man was panicky and he repeatedly said that he did not want to live. The man was however controlled by members of the military who were also passengers of the plane and that they stayed with the man until the plane landed.

"The man did not appear to be unruly or drunk at the time of his arrest," said John Geraud, Memphis International Airport Vice President for Operations.

There were one hundred twenty passengers and a five-person crew aboard AirTran Flight 265. The plane was able to take off two hours after it made an unscheduled landing.