Plane passengers cling on for their lives after man opens exit door mid-flight

  • Bookmark
  • Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to the Daily Star’s newsletter

    We have more newsletters

    Plane passengers were left holding on for dear life after a man swung open an exit door mid-flight.

    Nine people on board the Asiana Airlines flight were taken to hospital after suffering breathing difficulties and one man in his 30s has been arrested.

    The incident took place during the Airbus 321 plane, which took off from Jeju Island to the city of Daegu on Friday.

    READ MORE: Family brave 'rough and ready' UK resort with 'drunks' and 'babies in smoking shelter'

    About seven minutes before landing, a man sitting near an emergency exit row lifted the lever and opened the door.

    All 194 people onboard, including eight schoolchildren from Jeju, were seated and fastened with seatbelts.

    Video taken by a passenger from a few rows back show the gap on the left side of the plane and strong gusts of wind blowing at passengers.

    Another video taken from the row in front of the emergency exit sees passengers holding onto the armrests while bracing the wind.

    According to Korean media YTN, the door opened when the plane was about 700 feet above runway.

    The plane landed safely at around 12.40pm local time.

    A spokesperson for Asiana Airlines said: "Police are investigating the incident after a passenger who was sitting near the emergency exit said he touched the lever."

    South Korean Police arrested the man upon landing on charges of forcibly opening the emergency door of an airplane and violation of the Aviation Security Act.

    A police official said, "We have obtained a statement that he pulled the emergency exit hook of the aircraft, but the suspect has not said anything about the motive for the crime."

    The man lives in Jeju and boarded the plane alone without other companions.

    He also claimed he was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of boarding.

    READ NEXT:

    • 1500 people called Kyle travel to town called Kyle in world's biggest gathering of Kyles
    • Kids missing after jungle plane crash leave clues – and have hidden skills to survive
    • Mass murderer wrestled to floor after killing six kept off Death Row with desperate plea
    • In the News
    • Plane Crash

    Source: Read Full Article