Man who opened plane door mid-flight ‘wanted to get off quickly’

The man who opened a plane door mid-flight has revealed why he did it, with his act leaving fellow passengers, including children, terrified

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 man in his thirties was arrested at Daegu airport in South Korea after he opened the emergency door 200 metres in the air as the plane was landing.

The man told authorities he opened the door because he was feeling claustrophobic and wanted to exit the aircraft quickly, Fox Business reports.

An opened door of an Asiana Airlines plane is seen at Daegu International Airport in Daegu on May 26, 2023, after it was manually opened by a passenger just 200 metres above the ground before landing. Picture: Yonhap / AFP

Other passengers attempted to stop the suspect but failed to prevent him from partially opening the emergency exit door.

The Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 aircraft was immediately filled with a sharp whirlwind that disoriented passengers.

Upon landing, the suspect was arrested by police on charges of violating aviation security laws.

The man who opened the door told authorities it was because he was feeling claustrophobic and wanted to exit the aircraft quickly. Picture: Yonhap / AFP

The plane was en route to the Daegu Airport in the southeastern region of the Korean peninsula.

The suspect allegedly pulled open the emergency door while at a 700-foot altitude during the plane’s descent.

The man also reportedly attempted to jump out of the plane after he opened the door.

“It was chaos with people close to the door appearing to faint one by one and flight attendants calling out for doctors on board through broadcasting,” a 44-year-old passenger told local news outlet Yonhap.

The Asiana Airlines plane. Picture: Yonhap / AFP

“I thought the plane was blowing up. I thought I was going to die like this.”

There were school-aged children on board who were travelling to a weekend sporting event.

“The children were shaking, crying, and frightened,” a mother said.

The debacle is being investigated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for violation of aviation law.

The man reportedly told officials he has been under intense stress after losing his job and felt like he was suffocating.

This story originally appeared on Fox Business and is republished here with permission