The fear of flying is actually quite common, especially for those who have aerophobia. It seems that a new fear of flying has been unlocked after this passenger suddenly decided it was a good idea to open the airplane’s emergency exit door as they were descending.
Last Friday (26th May), passengers on Asiana Airlines Flight OZ8124, from Jeju Island to Daegu International Airport, posted videos of a terrifying event that showed one of the emergency exit doors were wide open as the aircraft was descending. It was reported the incident happened when the plane was 700 feet (213.36 meters) above the ground.
More footage here from the terrifying Asiana Airlines flight with the emergency exit wide open for some 3 mins before landing.https://t.co/P9r6uh4ANS
— Raphael Rashid (@koryodynasty) May 26, 2023
South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that the culprit who opened the door was the man dressed in all blue as seen in the video posted above. It was said that the passenger was feeling suffocated and wanted to get off the flight immediately that he decided to just open the nearby exit door. Flight attendants were unable to stop the culprit as the plane was about to land.
Thankfully, the pilots managed to land the plane safely and the man was immediately apprehended by cabin crew and authorities for questioning. Unfortunately, many of the 194 passengers were hospitalised due to breathing difficulties after the incident.
Soon after the story broke out, News1 reported that a female flight attendant tried to block the emergency exit with her whole body until the plane safely landed, as seen in the (assumed) reenactment photo below. The news sparked discussion among netizens who asked the South Korean airlines to reconsider their uniforms for more emergency-ready attire.
Whatever the case, we’re glad that everyone is safe after the incident and so far, no casualties have been reported. In response to the recent incident, Asiana Airlines announced that they will no longer be selling seats nearby the emergency exits to passengers.
As for the culprit, it was reported that he could face up to 10 years in jail on a charge of violating the aviation security law.
Sources: Twitter (1)(2), Naver (1)(2), Koreaboo, BBC
