A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to a terrifying in-flight incident that left passengers and crew stunned—and could have ended in tragedy.

Francisco Severo Torres, 34, of Leominster, admitted in court that he attempted to open an emergency exit door mid-flight and then tried to stab a flight attendant with a broken metal spoon. The plea was entered on May 15, 2025, in Boston federal court. He now faces up to life in prison when he’s sentenced this July.

The incident happened on March 5, 2023, aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston. About 45 minutes before landing, an alert went off in the cockpit: one of the emergency doors on the starboard side—between first class and coach—had been disarmed. When flight attendants checked, they found the door’s locking handle had been partially moved, and the emergency slide lever had been disarmed. The crew quickly secured the door and reported the issue to the captain.

What they didn’t yet know was that Torres had been spotted near that door earlier. When confronted, he deflected, asking if there were any cameras proving he had done anything wrong. But just moments later, things escalated fast. Torres stood up, walked toward the same door where two flight attendants were stationed, and started mouthing something unintelligible. Then, loud and clear, passengers heard him shouting disturbing threats: “I’ll kill every man on this plane,” and “I’m taking over this plane.”

He lunged at one of the attendants, stabbing at their neck with a makeshift weapon—a broken metal spoon—hitting the area three times. Fortunately, other passengers acted quickly. They tackled him and helped restrain him until the plane landed safely in Boston, where authorities were waiting.

According to passenger accounts, Torres had already been acting strangely. He reportedly asked someone during the pre-flight safety briefing where exactly on the safety card the door handle was shown. He was also seen pacing in the galley before the attack.

The charge he pled guilty to—interference with flight crew using a dangerous weapon—carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, plus fines and supervised release. Torres was originally charged shortly after the incident and indicted later that year.

Now, with a guilty plea entered, all that’s left is sentencing. But for those on that flight, the memory of what happened at 35,000 feet will be hard to forget.

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