Travel

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.

Anna Kepner was murdered on a Carnival Cruise ship ... at least that's the conclusion reached on her death certificate.

The document, obtained by ABC News, says Anna died as a result of "mechanical asphyxia" on November 6, and it notes the 18-year-old "was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)."

As you know ... FBI agents found two bruises on the side of Anna's neck, and she was thought to have died from a "bar hold" -- an arm placed across the neck.

Anna Kepner's ex has come forward with harrowing new details about the final moments of her life ... alleging she was involved in a heated confrontation with her 16-year-old stepbrother before her death.

Joshua Tew -- who described Anna as his first love during a new interview with Inside Edition -- said her 14-year-old brother Connor told him about a nasty fight she was allegedly in with her stepsibling in the cabin they all were sharing aboard Carnival's Horizon ship.

Anna and the unnamed brother were allegedly inside the locked cabin ... and according to Joshua, Connor could hear him "yelling at her in a harmful way." Joshua was told the stepsibling even yelled at her to "shut the hell up." There was also some "banging around" heard in the room ... including what the brother believes were chairs being thrown.

4:49 PM PT -- A spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line tells TMZ ... "The Carnival Radiance crew responded to a potential overboard alert off the coast north of Ensenada, Mexico when some guests reported hearing a splash in the water.  The ship returned to the area where there was a potential sighting of an individual to conduct a rescue operation. In the meantime, the crew completed a full guest and crew headcount as is our standard safety protocol and all guests and crew have been accounted for. The splash could have very well been a whale but there is no way to confirm that. In any case, all on board are accounted for and the ship will resume its itinerary."

A rescue operation is underway in the Pacific Ocean after a passenger went overboard on a Carnival cruise.

Carnival Cruise Line tells TMZ ... the Carnival Radiance crew is responding to an overboard alert off the coast north of Ensenada, Mexico.

We're told the cruise ship is returning to where there was a potential sighting of a person in the water ... and we obtained video of rescue boats in the water searching for the passenger, plus footage of someone splashing around.

Addison Rae looks like she's a big fan a popular singing competition show ... at least based on what she just wore at the airport.

Check out these images of the "I Got It Bad" singer walking to the curb at LAX on Wednesday ... she's wearing an eye mask.

Addison is an influencer turned Grammy nominee ... so the jokes write themselves, folks ... allow us to introduce "The Masked Singer." 😂

Anna Kepner's family is remembering the teen cheerleader as a radiant soul who "lived every day with her whole heart," following the tragic discovery of her body on a Carnival cruise ship.

Anna -- nicknamed "Anna Banana" -- was reportedly found by a maid wrapped in a blanket and hidden under a bed on November 8 during a Caribbean cruise with her father, Christopher Kepner, her stepmother Shauntel Hudson, and Hudson's kids.

Despite the tragedy, Anna's family focused their tribute on her joyful, light-filled life. "She loved the sun, the water, boat days, island days, and beach days, anything that let her soak in the light she so easily radiated to others," her obituary reads.

Tragedy in Patagonia, Chile ... 5 tourists died after getting caught in a sudden blizzard at Torres del Paine National Park.

Chile’s forestry agency (CONAF) confirmed Tuesday that two Mexican tourists, two Germans, and one Brit were found dead after getting hit with insanely intense weather -- crazy winds, heavy snow, and freezing temps.

CONAF also said four other tourists were found alive.

Porsha Williams is clearing the air about a dramatic Delta Airlines flight that landed her on the FBI's radar.

Her lawyer, Joe Habachy, tells TMZ ... "Ms. Williams was verbally assaulted by an irate and unhinged passenger without provocation. The passenger then proceeded to make false allegations that were in direct conflict with observations from several eyewitnesses."

He added, "As with any incident occurring aboard an aircraft, federal authorities are required to conduct an investigation involving all parties to determine what, if any, offenses occurred. Ms. Williams has every intention of cooperating with law enforcement to whatever extent necessary, and remains confident that the passenger will be charged."

Pilot and reality TV star Pete Cappio is still encouraging folks to become air line pilots and air-traffic controllers ... he says the recent government shutdown presented challenges, but it shouldn't be a deal breaker.

Peter, who was on Charity Lawson's season of ABC's "The Bachelorette," tells TMZ ... it won't be the last government shutdown, and folks shouldn't be scared to work in the airline industry.

There's a shortage of air-traffic controllers nationwide ... and they worked without paychecks during the shutdown, but are owed back pay.

Four congressmen flying to Washington, D.C. had their plane diverted to Kansas City after another passenger got too rowdy -- and maybe too political!

Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) were all seated on an American Airlines flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to D.C. Wednesday night, when a "disruptive passenger" forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing at KC International Airport, according to authorities.

FlightAware -- which provides real-time flight tracking data -- showed the plane had been up in the air for more than 2 and a half hours before landing. While the passenger was behaving unruly, it remains unclear what exactly she did to prompt the diversion.

Kevin Smith says traveling by plane for work was hell during the government shutdown ... and it sounds like his flight issues have him supporting Harvey Levin's 'OWTA' campaign.

We got the legendary director at LAX on Monday and our photog asked him what it was like flying during the shutdown ... and he told us he was basically stranded in Atlanta and couldn't get to New Jersey or even Orlando by plane.

Kevin says he feels for air traffic controllers who have been working for several weeks without a paycheck and tells us he totally understands why some of them stopped showing up for work ... even if it meant lengthy delays for some of his own flights.

A driver for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency appeared to fall asleep while controlling a train in new video released this week.

The footage, obtained by local station KRON4 News, shows the moment a light-rail train ride nearly derailed Sept. 24 around 8:37 AM.

In the video, the driver's body goes limp as she appears to nod off, with the packed train careening around a dangerous curve.

President Trump is ripping air traffic controllers a new a**hole as the government shutdown drags on ... threatening to dock the pay of those playing hooky from their posts.

Trump fired off the financial threat Monday morning on his Truth Social app, claiming any air traffic controller who doesn't work during the shutdown "will be substantially 'docked.'"

The messaging comes in the wake of the FAA ordering reduced air traffic at 40 major airports across the country ... tons of flights are canceled or delayed, and travelers and pilots are feeling the stress ... especially as the holiday travel season ramps up.

A fed-up pilot snapped in frustration recently -- blasting the endless flight delays as the federal government shutdown grinds on ... and in a bipartisan appeal, he called on passengers to take action.

In a viral TikTok posted Sunday by a passenger flying out of NYC’s LaGuardia to Dallas, chaos hit a new level -- TSA lines took 2 hours to get through, this flight was delayed another 2 hours, and then they were stuck on the runway for 2 more ... until the pilot stormed out, telling everyone to call their senators and raise hell 'cause the shutdown’s costing everyone their precious time, and the airlines millions of dollars.

The pilot addresses the cabin in person, telling passengers ... "I don't really care what your political persuasion is ... but you should really call your senators." He vented his frustration, saying with 30 planes ahead of them, they were stuck burning cash and time on the tarmac ... and that backlog just keeps snowballing through the whole system. And he broke down some details for everyone on board.

The FBI is probing the death of a passenger aboard a Carnival Cruise Line, according to authorities in Florida.

A rep for Carnival Cruise Line tells TMZ … company executives are working with FBI Miami agents to investigate the death of the guest who was traveling on a Carnival Horizon ship.

The spokesperson also said the ship sailed back to Port Miami as scheduled Saturday morning, but he wouldn't provide further details, citing the ongoing FBI investigation.

Bianca Censori never takes a break from showing off her body in public, even when she's dealing with air travel.

Check out these photos of Kanye West's wife at an airport in Melbourne ... she's wearing an all-black look comprised of a thong bodysuit and heels.

Lots of folks travel comfortably, but not Bianca ... she's keeping things stylish and sexual ... which, as you are well aware by now, is kind of her thing.