Prosecution Arrests and Indicts Man in 30s for Opening Emergency Exit on Asiana Airlines Flight... First Domestic Case

A man in his 30s who forcibly opened the emergency exit door of an Asiana Airlines aircraft during landing last month on the 26th has been brought to trial.

The Public Investigation Division of Daegu District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Seo Kyung-won) arrested and indicted Mr. A (32) on the 21st on charges of violating the Aviation Security Act and property damage for forcibly opening the emergency exit door of an Asiana Airlines flight from Jeju to Daegu while in operation.

[Photo by YTN News Screen Capture]

Mr. A is accused of suddenly manipulating and opening the emergency exit door lever while the Asiana Airlines flight OZ8124 from Jeju to Daegu, carrying 197 passengers, was descending at an altitude of 224 meters over Daegu Airport at a speed of 260 km/h on the afternoon of the 26th of last month.

He is also charged with damaging the aircraft by causing the external emergency escape slide to detach during this process. Previously, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport estimated the damage to three parts of the aircraft, including the emergency door and slide, at approximately 640 million KRW.

Investigations revealed that Mr. A purchased a ticket on-site at Jeju Airport to board the flight to Daegu for hospital treatment where his family lives. At that time, the airline inquired about his psychiatric medication use before assigning him an emergency exit seat, and no abnormal symptoms were detected during the boarding process.

Immediately after opening the emergency door, strong wind entered the cabin, and Mr. A sat in his seat before attempting to jump out of the exit after the aircraft had fully landed. However, two flight attendants and passengers quickly subdued him. The arrested Mr. A confessed to the crime to ground staff at Daegu Airport. Additionally, the defendant’s DNA was detected on the emergency door control lever.

During the investigation, Mr. A claimed that he opened the emergency door believing the aircraft had fully landed on the runway. However, flight recorder data confirmed that the aircraft was at an altitude of 224 meters when he manipulated the door, about eight minutes before the scheduled arrival time. Considering the presence of a window on the emergency door and the pre-landing in-flight announcements, the prosecution judged Mr. A’s claim to be unconvincing.

Article 23, Paragraph 2 of the Aviation Security Act (Passenger Cooperation Obligation) states, "Passengers shall not assault others or engage in assault, threats, deception, or manipulation of doors, exits, or equipment that disrupts the security or operation of the aircraft," thereby prohibiting manipulation of doors or exits that interfere with aircraft security or operation.

Furthermore, Article 46, Paragraph 1 of the same law (Assault on Aircraft) stipulates that "Anyone who violates Article 23, Paragraph 2 by assault, threats, deception, or manipulation of doors, exits, or equipment that disrupts the security or operation of the aircraft shall be punished by imprisonment for up to 10 years."

Also, Article 2, Clause 1 of the same law (Definitions) defines "in operation" as the period from when all doors are closed after passengers board until the doors are opened for disembarkation. Therefore, even if Mr. A’s claim that he opened the emergency door after the aircraft had landed and was taxiing on the runway were true, it would not affect the establishment of the crime.

Earlier this month, after receiving the case from Daegu Dongbu Police Station, the prosecution investigated flight attendants, nearby passengers, ticketing staff, and Mr. A’s family and acquaintances in sequence. They also conducted multifaceted investigations, including analyzing Mr. A’s mobile phone messages and verifying his movements before and after the incident, to clarify the circumstances of his boarding, the process of opening the emergency door, his motive, and psychological state.

A Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office official stated, "This case is the first domestic instance of a passenger opening the door of an aircraft in operation, posing a serious risk to flight safety. We will ensure thorough prosecution, including submitting clinical psychological evaluation results during the trial, to secure a sentence commensurate with the crime."

He added, "Recently, there was an incident where a passenger attempted to open an emergency door on a flight from Cebu, Philippines to Incheon, raising concerns about copycat crimes. The prosecution will continue to respond strictly to crimes threatening flight operations and do its utmost to protect the safety of aircraft passengers and crew."