A passenger aboard an Asiana Airlines flight has been arrested after he forced open the door to the airplane just a few minutes before landing.
On an Airbus A321-200 flying from Jeju Island to Daegu, South Korea, a 33-year-old male passenger seated next to an emergency exit reportedly forced the door open.
When the door was opened, the plane — which was carrying 194 people, including 48 elementary and middle school children on their way to a sporting event — was around 700 feet off the ground and traveling at around 170 mph.
Airline spokesman Baek Hyunwoo noted that opening an airplane door mid-flight would typically be impossible because of the difference in air pressure inside and outside the cabin — but at the lower altitude the plane was at during the incident, there is only a slight difference in air pressure.
Fortunately, the passengers were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the incident. However, the flight attendants were also strapped into their seats, which meant that they were too far away to intervene in time.
Footage of the incident from another passenger shows other passengers holding on for dear life as powerful gusts of wind flood the cabin.
Man arrested after opening door as plane prepared to land in South Korea, 9 people taken to hospital – Yonhap pic.twitter.com/2cCmwV27Yg
— BNO News (@BNONews) May 26, 2023
Other footage of the incident shared on social media shows the plane door ajar while various garments flap in the wind.
Door of Asiana Airlines plane opens in mid-air just before landing in South Korea; 9 people taken to hospital with breathing difficulties pic.twitter.com/rUI6LTRihj
— BNO News (@BNONews) May 26, 2023
Some passengers reportedly suffered extreme ear pain when the door opened, while twelve people — all but one of whom were between the ages of 11 and 16 — hyperventilated. There were no casualties, but nine of the passengers who hyperventilated had to be taken to the hospital.
Speaking with the Yonhap News Agency, one 44-year-old passenger stated that they “thought the plane was going to explode.”
“It looked like passengers next to the open door were fainting,” the passenger added.
A mother of one of the children aboard the plane reported that the “children were shaking, crying, and frightened. Those sitting near the exit must have been shocked the most.”
The plane was ultimately able to land safely despite the open door.
According to the New York Times, Daegu Dongbu Police station criminal affairs division officer Kim Hyeong-su suggested that the man who opened the door may face charges of violating aviation security laws.
