Man Pleads Guilty After Opening Emergency Exit on JetBlue Aircraft

A 24-year-old Puerto Rican man pleaded guilty on May 12 to federal charges stemming from an incident aboard a JetBlue aircraft in 2025, during which he opened an emergency exit door while the plane was taxiing for takeoff.

Angel Luis Morales Torres appeared in U.S. District Court, where he entered a plea of guilty to one count of damaging or disabling an aircraft. The incident, which occurred on Jan. 7, 2025, disrupted a flight scheduled to depart from Boston Logan International Airport for Puerto Rico.

According to federal prosecutors, the aircraft was on the taxiway preparing for departure when Morales stood up from his seat. Witness accounts state that he ran down the aisle toward an empty emergency exit row and began attempting to force the door open.

A flight attendant intervened to restrain Morales; however, he succeeded in opening the door. The activation of the emergency exit caused the aircraft’s inflatable escape slide to deploy, immediately rendering the plane inoperable and forcing the flight to cease. Morales was subsequently subdued by a fellow passenger before he could cause further disruption.

Morales was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025 in connection with the event.

The charge of damaging or disabling an aircraft is a serious federal offense. Under U.S. law, a conviction for this crime carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.

U.S. District Court Senior Judge F. Dennis Saylor has scheduled the sentencing hearing for Aug. 4, at which time the court will determine Morales' final penalties.