2022---spain--passengers-escape-plane-after-false-emergency-landing Apr 2026

In December 2022, a flight from Morocco to Turkey made an emergency landing at Barcelona's El Prat airport after a passenger falsely claimed to be in labor. Upon landing, a group of 28 passengers used the opportunity to flee across the tarmac in an attempt to enter Spain illegally.

This incident mirrored a similar event in November 2021 at , where a flight diverted due to a passenger faking a diabetic attack, leading to 24 passengers escaping onto the runway. Key Details of the 2022 Incident Location: Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) , Spain. Flight: Pegasus Airlines, Casablanca to Istanbul. Pretext: A pregnant woman claimed her water had broken. In December 2022, a flight from Morocco to

In aviation safety discussions, the term "useful feature" is sometimes ironically applied to the and inflatable slides in these scenarios. While designed for life-saving evacuations, these features were "leveraged" by passengers to facilitate their escape onto the runway. Key Details of the 2022 Incident Location: Barcelona-El

28 passengers fled as soon as doors opened for the medical emergency. In aviation safety discussions, the term "useful feature"

14 people were initially detained; the woman was found not to be in labor and was arrested for public disorder. "Useful Feature" Context

More recently, in July 2025, a Ryanair flight in Palma also saw a mass evacuation via inflatable slides due to a , resulting in 18 minor injuries. Spain hunts passengers who fled plane after fake emergency