Those who sit by the emergency exit on planes are usually briefed on how to open the door quickly in case of an emergency. However, things can easily become dangerous if the emergency exit’s misused.
Earlier today (26 May), a passenger aboard Asiana Airlines’ Airbus A321 plane opened a door on the plane while it was still 250 metres above ground.
Thankfully, no one onboard sustained any serious injuries. South Korean police are currently looking into the incident.
According to Korean news site Yonhap News, a 33-year-old man onboard the Asiana Airlines flight from Jeju Island to Daegu pulled the door lever right before the plane was landing.
There were reportedly 194 people onboard the flight. Among them were 48 students who were on their way to a sports event in the southeastern city of Ulsan.
Source: BBC
The male passenger allegedly pulled the lever to open a door in the left middle section of the aircraft.
Flight attendants could not stop him in time as the plane was about to land.
Source: MBC News
The man apparently pulled the stunt about 10 minutes before landing. The aircraft was reportedly 250 metres above ground at the time.
Video footage from the plane later made rounds on Twitter.
In the video, passengers’ hair can be seen flying widely due to the strong wind.
One passenger who spoke to Yonhap News said “it was chaos” in the flight when the incident occurred.
Those near the door apparently started to faint, prompting flight attendants to look for doctors on board.
Source: The National News
Witness accounts claim that the man also tried to jump out of the plane, although he was eventually pulled back in by surrounding passengers.
Thankfully, the plane landed safely shortly after, albeit with the door open.
MBC News reported that none of the passengers were injured as a result of the incident.
However, nine passengers reportedly experienced breathing difficulties and were conveyed to the hospital.
Source: Yonhap News
Flight attendants caught the male passenger responsible for the incident as soon as the plane landed.
He was then handed over to South Korean police.
Source: The National News
According to Yonhap News, the passenger was uncooperative with the police and refused to explain his dangerous actions. Officials revealed,
It is difficult to have a normal conversation with him. We will investigate the motive of his crime and punish him.
The police have confirmed that the man was travelling alone and was not drunk at the time.
We’re glad no one was seriously injured despite the dangerous nature of the man’s actions. We hope the man’s motives will soon come to light.
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Featured image adapted from BBC and MBC News.
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