The South Korean airline passenger who opened the emergency exit door of a plane while it was airborne — claiming he needed to get off “quickly” — has been arrested for the bizarre caught-on-video move.
The 33-year-old Asiana Airlines flier was busted Sunday for violating aviation security law – a charge that carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, said officials in Daegu, South Korea, where the plane eventually landed.
The man, who has only been identified by his surname, Lee, told cops he opened the door because he was “uncomfortable” and “wanted to get off the plane quickly,” Reuters reported. He said he recently lost his job and was stressed.
“I’m really sorry to kids,” the man told reporters outside court Sunday. “I wanted to get off the plane soon.”
The Asiana Airlines Airbus A321-200 was carrying approximately 200 people for an hourlong flight from the South Korean island of Jeju to Daegu on Friday when the terrifying incident occurred. Its passengers included teenage track-and-field athletes who were en route to a competition, Asiana Airlines said.
Police detain the man suspected of opening a door on an Asiana Airlines plane mid-air. ZUMAPRESS.com
Rescue workers transport a passenger on a stretcher to an ambulance at Daegu International Airport in South Korea on May 26, 2023 AP
Students are moved from the scene on stretchers. YONHAP/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
An Asiana Airlines plane is parked after one of is doors was yanked open by a flier in Daegu, South Korea, in May. APThe plane was preparing to land but still 700 feet above ground when Lee pulled open the emergency door.
Video of the incident showed passengers’ hair whipping around as the wind rushed in.
Nine people were taken to a local hospital for examination, and all were later released. Witnesses described passengers crying and screaming after the door was opened.
With Post wires
