A man has told police he opened a plane's door on an Asiana Airlines flight, to the horror of other passengers, because he was "uncomfortable".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The man, in his thirties, told police he opened the door before landing in Daegu, South Korea because he "wanted to get off the plane quickly", Yonhap News Agency reported.
He also told police he was stressed after losing his job recently.
The man opened the door when the plane was about 213m above the ground, causing panic onboard.
Nine passengers were sent to the hospital with breathing issues. All were dismissed from the hospital after about two hours, a fire department official said.
Police plan to arrest the detained man after investigations conclude, Yonhap said.
Jin Seong-hyun, a former Korean Air cabin safety official, said that as far as he knew, this case was unprecedented, but that passengers have opened emergency exits without authorisation while the plane is on the ground.
A South Korean transport ministry official said yesterday it was possible to open emergency exits at or near ground level because the pressures inside and outside the cabin were similar.
Australian Associated Press