"If I open the emergency exit, everyone will die"... 20-year-old American causes disturbance on plane

A foreign man in his 20s who assaulted flight attendants and caused a disturbance on a plane in flight was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

According to the legal community on the 24th, Judge Kwak Yeo-san of the Criminal Division 4 at Incheon District Court sentenced A (26, male), an American, who was indicted on charges of property damage and violation of the Aviation Security Act, to six months in prison with a one-year suspension.

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A was charged with assaulting flight attendants B (39, female) and C (44, female) on a plane departing from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand at around 11:30 p.m. on November 7 last year, en route to Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport. He was sitting in a crew-only seat on the aircraft and committed the crime when B requested him to move to his assigned seat.

A took flight attendant C’s phone, who was filming the scene, and threw it on the floor, reportedly saying, "If I open the door, we will all die." He also caused a disturbance by pretending to open the aircraft emergency exit door.

Judge Kwak stated, "The defendant’s actions caused anxiety among other passengers and could have threatened the safety of the flight operation, so the guilt is not light," but added, "Considering that the defendant showed remorse and was mentally unstable at the time of the crime," explaining the sentencing decision.