Passenger says he opened plane door mid-flight because he was 'uncomfortable'

The man who opened the emergency exit told police he was stressed after losing his job recently.

A passenger opened a door on an Asiana Airlines flight before it landed. Source: EPA / Yonhap

Key Points

• An Asiana Airlines passenger opened a plane door mid-flight.
• Nine people were taken to hospital after suffering breathing issues, but no one was hurt.
• The airline said a man seated in an exit row pulled a lever as the plane was about to land.

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".

The man, in his 30s, 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 Airbus A321-200 was two or three minutes away from landing on Friday when the male passenger sitting next to an emergency exit opened a cover and pulled a lever so the door opened about 200 metres above the ground, an Asiana representative said.

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.

"I thought the plane was going to explode ... It looked like passengers next to the open door were fainting," an unidentified 44-year-old passenger told the Yonhap News Agency.

The passenger said the cabin crew had made an in-flight announcement asking if there were any doctors on board.

A video aired on television, reported to have been shot by a passenger, showed the moments before the landing, with a door open and wind rushing in as passengers sat nearby.

A transport ministry official told Reuters authorities were looking into whether Asiana Airlines had followed protocols to manage emergency exits.

The official said it was possible an emergency exit could be disarmed near the ground when pressure inside and outside the cabin was similar.

Rescue workers move students on stretchers at Daegu International Airport. The students were among 194 passengers aboard the Asiana Airlines plane. Source: AAP / Yonhap

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 on Friday that it was possible to open emergency exits at or near ground level because the pressures inside and outside the cabin were similar.

All onboard were seated with seat belts fastened because the plane was about to land, the representative said.

Police plan to arrest the detained man after investigations conclude, Yonhap said.