South Korean police arrest teen who tried to open plane door mid-flight
Police in South Korea have arrested a teenager who allegedly tried to open the door of a Jeju Air plane mid-flight on Monday, the second such incident in a month.
The 19-year-old tried to do so on a Jeju Air flight from Cebu in the Philippines to Incheon, a South Korean city bordering the capital of Seoul.
Fortunately, the Boeing 737 plane’s door did not open and none of the 180 passengers aboard were hurt, according to Yonhap news agency.
The teen began to “act strange” about an hour into the flight, Yonhap cited Jeju Air. He reportedly complained that he felt pressure on his chest.
Jeju Air said the air crew then offered to move the youth to another seat near the jump seats, also known as auxiliary seats for flight staff.
However, that did not appease the youth and he suddenly ran towards one of the exit doors and tried to force it open.
Flight crew together with some passengers immediately subdued the teen.
The Korea JoongAng Daily reported that the teen is unemployed and had lived in Cebu for a month. He allegedly tried to “attack” the flight crew with a pen, according to the news site.
Once the flight landed, he was arrested by the police, said Jeju Air.
The youth reportedly asked the police the number of life vests onboard and “if all of the flight crew would have been fired if he opened the emergency door”, according to The Korea JoongAng Daily.
A passenger who posted an account of the incident claimed the youth had threatened to “open the door and get everybody killed.”
A Jeju Air official told Yonhap that there was no damage or casualties thanks to the prompt action by the crew.
The incident came after an episode in May where a passenger opened an Asiana Airlines plane door minutes before it landed in the southern city of Daegu in South Korea, causing panic on board.
Nine passengers were taken to hospital with breathing issues.
The man in his 30s, who was arrested, told police he was feeling suffocated and wanted to get off quickly as he was stressed after losing his job.
He faces up to 10 years in prison for violating aviation safety laws.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now