South Korean police said the male passenger opened the door of the Asiana Airlines plane during landing because he "felt stuffy" and wanted to get off quickly.
"He felt the flight took longer than expected and was stifling in the cabin," a police officer in the city of Daegu, about 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, told AFP. AFP Today. "This person wants to get off the plane quickly."
The male passenger, more than 30 years old, opened the emergency exit on the Airbus A321 of South Korean airline Asiana Airlines at an altitude of 200 meters, when the plane landed at Daegu airport on May 26. None of the 5 passengers on board were injured, nine were taken to the hospital due to shortness of breath and have all been discharged.
During the interrogation, the male passenger also said that he was "under great pressure because he just lost his job". This person could face up to 10 years in prison for violating aviation safety regulations.
A transport ministry official said it was the "first such incident" in the country's aviation history.
Asiana Airlines plane's emergency exit door opened during landing on May 26. Video: BNO News
Aviation experts say that this is a rare incident, because the aircraft's emergency doors are designed to be tightly closed in the air and can withstand huge pressure differences.
"They're basically stuck in a closed position during flight," said Nick Wilson, an associate professor of aeronautics at the University of North Dakota in the US.
Doors and exit doors are part of the systems that ensure the cabin is always airtight and maintains the same pressure as on the ground. If not pressurized, the cabin will quickly lose pressure when the aircraft is operating at high altitude, causing the crew and passengers to lack oxygen, leading to unconsciousness and death.
Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 at Daegu airport after a passenger opened the emergency exit while landing on May 26. Image: Yonhap
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