All passengers survive after man opens emergency door as Asiana Airlines plane lands in South Korea Friday. Some passengers received medical attention after fainting.
The man who opened an airplane door mid-flight on Friday told authorities it was because he was feeling claustrophobic, according to Reuters.
The unidentified suspect, a man in his thirties, was arrested at Daegu airport in South Korea after he opened the emergency door 700 feet in the air as the plane was landing.
The man told authorities that he opened the door because he was feeling claustrophobic and wanted to exit the aircraft quickly.
Other passengers attempted to stop the suspect but failed to prevent him from partially opening the emergency exit door.
TERRIFYING VIDEO SHOWS SOUTH KOREA PLANE DOOR OPEN DURING FLIGHT; MAN IN CUSTODY
Police officers in plain clothes arrest an airplane passenger at Daegu International Airport in Daegu, South Korea, Friday, May 26, 2023, as he is suspected of opening an emergency exit door on an Asiana Airlines plane during a flight. A passenger op (Yun Kwan-shick/Yonhap via AP / AP Newsroom)
The Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 aircraft was immediately filled with a sharp whirlwind that disoriented passengers.
FRONTIER AIRLINES SAYS PASSENGER HIT FLIGHT ATTENDANT WITH THE INTERCOM PHONE
An Asiana Airlines plane is parked as one of the plane’s doors suddenly opened at Daegu International Airport in Daegu, South Korea, Friday, May 26, 2023. A passenger opened a door on an Asiana Airlines flight that later landed safely at a South Kore (Yun Kwan-shick/Yonhap via AP / AP Newsroom)
Upon landing, the suspect was arrested by police on charges of violating aviation security laws.
The plane was en route to the Daegu Airport in the southeastern region of the Korean peninsula.
UNITED ADDS FLIGHTS, NEW ROUTES AT MAJOR HUB
An emergency exit door of an Asiana Airlines plane is seen at Daegu International Airport in Daegu, South Korea, Friday, May 26, 2023, after a passenger opened it during a flight. A passenger opened the emergency exit door during a South Korean fligh ((Yun Kwan-shick/Yonhap via AP) / AP Newsroom)
The suspect allegedly pulled open the emergency door while at a 700-foot altitude during the plane's descent.
The debacle is being investigated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for violation of aviation law.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
He reportedly told officials he has been under intense stress after losing his job and felt like he was suffocating.