A closer look
Opening an airplane door mid-flight is physically impossible for any human being because the immense internal cabin pressure pins the door securely against the frame with thousands of pounds of force. Despite the fact that it is a scientific impossibility, there is always at least one panicked passenger per year who has a mid-air meltdown, aggressively charges the emergency exit, and tries to yank the handle, forcing the flight crew to tackle them into the aisle while the rest of the plane watches in horror. This structural safeguard is a comforting piece of engineering because it means your survival at thirty thousand feet doesn't rely on the unstable mental health of the guy in row 12 who just mixed two Ambien with three bloody marys, but rather on the cold, unforgiving laws of atmospheric physics
