A South Korean teenager was restrained by cabin crew using ‘lasso rope and tie wraps’ after he allegedly tried to open the emergency door of a plane mid-flight in the second such incident in less than a month.
The 19-year-old was arrested on Monday after he attempted to open the door of a Seoul-bound Jeju Air flight with nearly 180 passengers on board.
The Boeing 737's door did not open due to air pressure difference and the passengers remained unhurt, according to Yonhap news agency.
At the Incheon airport, the teen, whose identity has been withheld, was charged with breaching the Aviation Security Act.
According to officials, the suspect began “acting strange” about an hour into the flight from Cebu in the Philippines. He complained of feeling pressure on his chest.
The airline crew reportedly offered to move the teen to another seat near the jump seats, but that did not appease him. He then allegedly ran towards one of the exit doors at around 5.30am local time and tried to force it open.
He was restrained by crew members using “lasso ropes and tie wraps” before being handed over to the police after arrival at the Incheon airport.
The suspect had dropped out of high school and was staying in Cebu alone for about a month, police said.
During the investigation, the accused did not state his motive but reportedly asked questions such as, “how many life vests are there on an airplane?” and “whether all flight attendants would be fired if the emergency door is opened”.
The suspect later tested positive for drugs; a full analysis of the type of drug is expected in two weeks.
Earlier in May, a 33-year-old man was arrested for opening an emergency exit door minutes before it landed in the southern city of Daegu in South Korea.
Twelve people were slightly injured after he opened the door of the Asiana Airlines Airbus A321-200, causing air to blast inside the cabin.
Daegu police said the man, surnamed Lee, told them that he was under stress after a recent job loss and that he wanted to get out of the plane because he was feeling suffocated just before landing.
The plane was carrying 200 people, 194 of whom were passengers, including teenage athletes on their way to a track and field competition.
