Calay News
A man was detained by South Korean police on Friday after opening a door on an Asiana Airlines (020560.KS) plane minutes before landing in the city of Daegu, causing passengers to panic, authorities said. The Airbus A321-200 aircraft landed safely at around 12:40 p.m. (0340 GMT). He had left the resort island of Jeju an hour earlier, according to the airport’s flight schedule.
Nine passengers, all teenagers, were taken to the hospital due to respiratory problems, an official with the Daegu fire department said. An unidentified 44-year-old passenger told the Yonhap news agency: “I thought the plane was going to explode… It seemed that the passengers by the open door were fainting.”
A video, allegedly recorded by a passenger, was broadcast on television, showing the moment prior to landing with the door open and the wind blowing in while the passengers were seated nearby.
The Ministry of Transport issued a statement saying that the police had detained the man responsible for opening the gate and that they were investigating violations of air safety laws.
Authorities are also investigating whether Asiana Airlines followed proper protocols for handling emergency exits. According to an airline spokesperson, the passenger opened the emergency door when the plane was only two to three minutes from landing, some 200 meters (656 feet) above the ground.
After the incident, an open emergency door was observed near the left wing of the aircraft, and a deployed escape slide was torn from its place.
Aviation experts raised safety concerns, noting that it is especially dangerous to open an emergency door during landing and takeoff.
