SOUTH KOREA — Nine passengers were sent to a hospital in Daegu with minor injuries after an emergency door on an Asiana Airlines airplane was accidentally opened during a domestic flight from Jeju Island to Daegu on Friday. Korea Herald reports.
According to local fire authorities, the passengers had hyperventilated due to the fierce winds that blew through the open door for about 10 minutes before the plane landed. The incident occurred when the airplane was 200 meters above the ground, just before landing at Daegu Airport at 12:45 p.m.
Among the injured passengers were eight young student athletes who were on their way to participate in the National Junior Sports Festival in Ulsan. While authorities have stated that no deaths or severe injuries occurred as a result of the incident, some passengers were reportedly in a state of panic, crying and screaming due to the deafening air pressure.
Asiana Airlines and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have attributed the incident to a male passenger in his 30s who sat in an emergency exit aisle and accidentally pulled the emergency exit lever by force, claiming he had touched the wrong device. As per the company's statement, the crew members were unable to stop the man's "strange behaviour".
Asiana Airlines has said that the door should not have opened due to the air pressure difference, but the air pressure decreased just before landing, allowing it to open.
It added that the door is designed for passengers to be able to open it under emergency circumstances, and that there is no separate locking device. It has yet to determine the extent of the damage or associated costs to the plane, but has expressed no intention to seek civil or criminal responsibility.
The case is under investigation by the Dongchon District Office under the Daegu Police Agency. According to the Aviation Security Act, the man who opened the door could face up to 10 years in prison for manipulating the exit device, which hinders aircraft security or operation.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to gather more details of the incident from Asiana Airlines. The airline may face penalties for breaches related to flight safety, such as poor training of crew members or inadequate safety instructions for passengers.
Share Your Thoughts