A man who opened an emergency door during a flight in South Korea was formally arrested Sunday and faces up to 10 years in prison for violating aviation security laws, authorities said.
During preliminary questioning, the 33-year-old man told investigators he felt suffocated and tried to get off the plane quickly, according to police.
Twelve people were slightly injured Friday after he opened the door of Asiana Airlines' Airbus A321-200, triggering an air blast inside the cabin and terrorizing passengers. Some testified that they suffered severe earpains and saw others scream and cry. In a video shared on social networks, air is seen entering the cabinand passengers sitting in the seats.
Normally, emergency exit doors cannot be opened mid-flight due to the difference in air pressure inside and outside the aircraft. But during Friday's incident, the man managed to open the door likely because the plane was flying low as it prepared to land and there wasn't much difference in pressure, according to Asiana Airlines officials.
The Transport Ministry said the plane was 213 meters (700 feet) away when the man opened the door. The plane was preparing to land in Daegu on a one-hour flight from the southern island of Jeju with 200 people on board.
The Transport Ministry said the plane was 213 meters (700 feet) away when the man opened the door. Photo Reuters
On Sunday, a Daegu district court approved a warrant to formally arrest the man. Police requested the arrest warrant, citing the seriousness of the crime and the possibility of the man fleeing.
Daegu police have up to 20 days to investigate the man before determining whether to send him to prosecutors for possible indictment.
If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for violating the aviation security law that prohibits passengers from tampering with entrance gates, emergency exit doors and other equipment on board, according to the Ministry of Transport.
Daegu police said the man, surnamed Lee, told them he was under stress after losing a job recently and wanted to get off the plane soon because he felt suffocated just before landing.
At Daegu airport, with some of the injured. Photo EFE
People who were taken to hospitals were treated mostly for minor problems.
Asiana Airlines said in a statement that as of Sunday it halted the sale of emergency exit seats on its 321-seat A200-174 and 321-seat A200-195 aircraft as a precaution.
Source: AFP
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