A “claustrophobic” woman left fellow passengers terrified after opening an emergency exit during take off. The panicked passenger ended up wreaking havoc, with all 202 passengers and seven crew members on the Air Seoul flight RS902, which was due to fly to Jeju Airport from Gimpo International in the South Korean capital.
The woman’s actions led to an evacuation slide being deployed, and the flight was cancelled. There were 209 people on board the aircraft at the time. The crew had just finished up making their announcements and were taxiing along the runway when the 30-year-old woman reportedly unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped up from her seat in the first few rows of the plane.
According to reports, she rushed to the front of the plane and forcibly opened the emergency exit. A flight attendant tried to stop the young woman, but the door opened with a loud popping sound and the slide extended to the ground.
The flight was subsequently grounded at Jeju International Airport in South Korea at around 8.15am this morning (15 Apr).
One passenger, named Mr Kim, said: “The plane was about to depart from the runway when a woman suddenly started swearing and ran forwards, saying she was claustrophobic.
“The flight attendant near the door tried to stop her but was too late. Immediately after the door opened, cabin crew and male passengers ran over to stop the woman. They made her sit in row 1 so she couldn’t move.”
Another traveller, Mr Lee, said: “She said strange things that made me think she was drunk. I would never have imagined that she would open the door, but when it opened and smoke came out, the other passengers became confused. I was trapped in that plane for two and a half hours because of that person.”
Police officers boarded the plane and arrested the woman for violating the Aviation Security Act, as reported by NeedToKnow. She reportedly told the cops: “I felt claustrophobic and was suffocating, so I opened the door.”
The plane was held up on the runway for over an hour before being towed. Air Seoul had to cancel a series of flights due to the incident. Over 400 passengers were said to be affected by cancellations and delays.
An Air Seoul official said: “We are providing alternative flights to passengers on cancelled flights in accordance with our guidelines.” The investigation into the woman’s alleged act is ongoing.
In South Korea earlier this year, an airline vowed to investigate a number of its staff after they opened an emergency exit and posed for photos on the plane wing.
The incident happened while Eastar Jet Flight 703 was delayed by more than an hour. The delay was due to over four centimetres of snow temporarily closing the runway. Images taken from afar show how three uniformed stewardesses climbed onto the left wing of the Boeing 737 to pose for pictures.
The scenes unfolded on February 12 at Cheongju International Airport, South Korea. The flight was destined for Jeju Island, as reported by NeedToKnow. Because Cheongju Airport is designated as a military facility, photography and videography are strictly prohibited. Offenders face up to three years in prison or fines of up to 30m KRW (£16,493), according to local media.
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