An Asiana Airlines passenger plane with 194 passengers on board had a door open just before landing. Police urgently arrested A (33) on suspicion of opening the door of a landing airliner (violation of the Aviation Security Act).
According to police and Daegu Airport on the 26th, Asiana Airlines Flight OZ8124, which departed Jeju Airport at around 11:49 a.m., opened the door just before landing at Daegu Airport at around 12:45 p.m. on the same day. The plane was 213 meters above the ground with 194 passengers on board.
Video footage of the incident shows strong winds blowing through the open emergency exit, causing passengers’ hair and seats to whip around violently. Some passengers reportedly had difficulty breathing.
Twelve of the passengers were taken to a nearby hospital and are being treated for their injuries, which are not considered life-threatening. Fortunately, no passengers fell to their deaths. Among the passengers were 65 athletes and coaches from Jeju’s elementary, middle and high schools, who were traveling to the National Youth Games in Ulsan on July 27.
Police are investigating Mr. A, who was on스포츠토토 board the passenger plane, after securing information that he tried to open the exit door just before landing. During the police investigation, Mr. A stated that he “pulled the emergency exit lever,” but he did not tell the police why he tried to open the airplane door. According to police, Mr. Lee lives on Jeju Island and was alone on the airliner. He was not intoxicated.
According to Article 23 of the Aviation Security Act, passengers are prohibited from tampering with doors, exits, and devices in an aircraft, and those who violate this are subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years.
Passenger aircraft doors cannot be forced open at high altitudes, but they can be opened by decompression when the altitude drops below 1000 feet (about 305 meters). “We are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident, including checking Mr. A’s criminal record,” said a police official.
Asiana Airlines blamed the accident on passenger negligence, but is still trying to determine the exact cause, including whether the aircraft was defective. The airline also sent a replacement flight from Gimpo Airport to Daegu Airport around 3 p.m. that day.
“Passenger error appears to be the direct cause of this accident, but we have dispatched an aviation safety inspector to determine the exact cause of the accident,” said an Asiana Airlines official.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport also dispatched four aviation safety inspectors to Daegu Airport. They will check whether Asiana Airlines had any maintenance abnormalities and operated a replacement flight, and will also investigate whether the crew followed safety procedures.