A passenger opened an emergency door of an Asiana Airlines plane as it was about to land, the company said, adding that the flight landed safely, but several people were hospitalized.
On a domestic flight, nearly 200 passengers were traveling on the Airbus A321-200 bound for Daegu International Airport, about 150 miles southeast of Seoul.
A South Korean airline representative said that when the plane was about 200 meters above the ground, a passenger sitting near the emergency exit opened the door manually by touching the lever.
Some passengers had trouble breathing after the unexpected door opening, and some were taken to the hospital after landing. Still, there are no severe injuries, Asiana reported. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said nine people were hospitalized.
Further reading:
- Emergency landing: American Airlines plane caught fire after departing from Buenos Aires Ezeiza airport heading to Miami
- Why you shouldn’t fly after 3 in the afternoon and other tricks for your plane tickets
- American Airlines eliminates its First Class… for something much more exclusive
“The passenger was handed over to the police and is being questioned to clarify his motives,” Asiana added.
Yonhap posted a video showing how the wind blew through the open door mid-flight, wildly shaking the passengers’ hair while some screamed. Another video shared on social media showed passengers sitting in the emergency row next to an open door, being whipped by strong winds.
The two passengers, wearing seat belts, grimaced in pain and clutched the armrests, trying to pull away from the door.