'I was feeling uncomfortable' says passenger who opened airliner door at 700ft

27 May 2023 , 13:56

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'I was feeling uncomfortable' says passenger who opened airliner door at 700ft

A man who opened the door of a plane while it was 700 feet above the ground has said he did it because he was feeling "uncomfortable".

The passenger, in his 30s, left others on the Asiana Airlines plane terrified when he opened the door as the aircraft was coming in to land in Daegu, South Korea, on Friday afternoon.

The man, who was sitting in the emergency seat, yanked the door open just two to three minutes before landing in the city 150 miles south of Seoul.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said the passenger, who was arrested on arrival, told police officials that he "wanted to get off the plane quickly".

The plane parked at Daegu International Airport after one of the doors was opened during landing (AP)

It was also reported that he was stressed and not "in a normal state" after recently losing his job, reports the Independent.

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A local police officer told reporters: "He is mentally struggling right now and losing his footing. We could not investigate him properly due to his state."

The plane carrying 194 passengers landed safely, but some panicked passengers showed symptoms of breathing difficulties and were immediately taken to a hospital.

Police officers in plain clothes arrest the passenger at Daegu International Airport (AP)

Witnesses said children began shaking with fear and crying when the door of the Asiana Airlines plane opened suddenly.

"Children quivered and cried in panic. Those sitting near the exit must have been shocked the most," one woman said.

Flight OZ8124, an Airbus A321-200 jet, had taken off from Jeju Island in South Korea at about 11.45am local time (03:45 GMT) on Friday.

Rescue workers move a passenger on a stretcher to an ambulance at the airport in South Korea (Uncredited/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

A video shared on social media shows a male passenger opening the emergency door while the plane was still 250m from ground.

After the door was opened, wind started coming into the aircraft, with terrified passengers holding on to their seats.

Witnesses told local media that the crew could not stop the man as the plane was about to land.

The plane was 700 feet above the ground

The aircraft landed safely despite the incident

It has also been reported that the man tried to jump out of the plane after opening the door.

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A 44-year-old passenger told Yonhap: "It was chaos with people close to the door appearing to faint one by one and flight attendants calling out for doctors on board through broadcasting.

"I thought the plane was blowing up. I thought I was going to die like this."

Chiara Fiorillo