The man who opened the emergency door of an Asiana Airlines plane explained in full to the Police because he carried out an action that put the entire aircraft at risk and could lead him to spend almost ten years in prison.
The aircraft, an Airbus A321-200, was carrying nearly 200 passengers when it arrived on the runway at Daegu International Airport, 240km south of Seoul, on Friday on a local flight over South Korea.
When the plane was about 200 meters above the ground, the man in his thirties, according to police, opened the exit door. In front of the agents, he explained yes “under stress after recently losing his job”.
Also, he said this felt “suffocated” and wanted to get out quickly, South Korean police said on Saturday.
“She felt the flight was taking longer than it should have and felt suffocated in the cabin,” a Daegu police detective told AFP. The passenger faces 10 years in prison for violating aviation safety laws.
The scene quickly went viral on social media. A video taken by a passenger showed the wind blowing through the open door, wildly ruffling the passengers’ hair, while some screamed in surprise.
Another video shared on social media showed passengers sitting in the emergency row next to an open door, buffeted by strong winds.
The two passengers, wearing seat belts, gasped and grabbed the armrests, trying to get away from the door.
Several passengers were taken to hospital after suffering breathing difficulties as the draft entered the cabin, but There were no serious injuries or damage, according to the transport ministry.
“It was chaos with people near the gate appearing to pass out one by one and flight attendants calling doctors on board,” a 44-year-old passenger told Yonhap news agency. “I thought the plane was exploding. I thought I was going to die,” he added.
A transport ministry official told AFP it was the “first such incident” he was aware of in Korean aviation history. Experts say the South Korean airline industry has an excellent safety record.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.