The passenger who opened an emergency exit door in flight in South Korea on Friday had the simplest reason possible for his actions. He wanted off the plane even though it was still 600-700 feet above the ground. Police detained the Asiana passenger after he managed to open a mid-cabin exit on the A321 while the plane was on short final at Daegu Airport. The flight originated on the resort island of Jeju. Authorities said he told them he was under a lot stress and just wanted out of the plane. The crew continued the approach and landed safely. There were 194 people on the plane. The man faces a string of charges. Asiana has stopped seating passengers in exit rows.
It would appear from photos taken on the ground that the emergency slide deployed and was ripped off in the slipstream. Twelve passengers, most of them teenagers, were taken to a hospital after reporting breathing problems but most of the seated and belted passengers suffered only windblown hairdos. The exits are operable at low altitude because there is negligible pressure differential between the cabin and outside air. This video explains the technical details. South Korean officials are investigating whether exit management protocols were being correctly followed on this flight.
