Plane Passenger Fuels Thanksgiving Travel Panic, Opens Emergency Door in Atlanta

One airline passenger refused to have a Thanksgiving travel meltdown solo — sparking chaos when he yanked open the emergency exit as the plane was taxiing in Atlanta … and that stunt got him slapped with charges real quick.

It happened Tuesday at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport on KLM Flight 622 headed for Amsterdam — when 32-year-old Johannes Van Heertum freaked out, dialed 911 from his seat, claiming he spotted someone with a weapon … then popped the emergency exit and sent the inflatable slide blasting out, according to a press release from Atlanta PD.

The plane rolled back to the ramp, where police stormed on board and hauled Heertum off. Cops say their preliminary investigation points to a mental health episode — claiming he genuinely thought he saw a weapon and spiraled into panic.

EMTs checked him out at the International Terminal before cops slapped him with a stack of charges — reckless conduct, criminal damage to property, and interfering with security measures. He was then carted off to Clayton County Jail.