An easyJet holidaymaker tried to open a cabin door on a busy plane at 30,000ft.
The man in his 30s horrified other passengers on the Airbus A319 during the journey from Gatwick Airport on Wednesday.
He was subsequently forced to the floor and "boxed in" by other tourists.
Witnesses said the passenger had twice yanked at the door after leaving the toilet as the plane headed for Pisa, west Italy.
"I saw this bloke walk up the aisle behind me and head towards the toilet.
"He looked a little nervous and had a heavy coat on. He was in the toilet for about a minute," Richard Conyard, 42, told The Sun .
The company director, from Maidstone, Kent, said scared passengers "started shouting and crying" after the man tried to force the cabin door open.
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Richard added: "A couple of guys went to help. I joined them. We bundled him into a seat. Some women nearby were asked to swap seats so all these burly blokes could sit around him and box him in.
"He just sat there until we landed. We had to stay in our seats until police arrived."
Pisa Airport police said a suspect in his 30s, from Siena, Italy, had been quizzed in connection with the drama.
An easyJet spokesman said: "The captain of Flight EZY8233 from London Gatwick to Pisa requested police to meet the aircraft due to the disruptive behaviour of a passenger on board during the descent."
It said that cabin crew were trained to act fast to ensure the safety of the flight and passengers.
