South Korean Asiana Airlines passenger plane flies with open door, lands safely

The door of Asiana Airlines plane opens in mid-air just before landing in South Korea. Photo / via Twitter

Horrifying footage has shown the moments after a passenger opened an emergency exit door during a South Korean flight, causing cold air to gust inside the cabin before the plane landed safely, airline and government officials said.

Some people aboard the Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 aircraft tried to prevent the person from opening the door but it was eventually opened partially, the Transport Ministry said.

The plane with 194 people was heading to the southeastern city of Daegu from the southern island of Jeju. The flight is normally about an hour, and details of the incident, including how long the door was open, were under investigation, according to Asiana Airlines.

An Asiana Airlines plane is parked as one of the plane's doors suddenly opened at Daegu International Airport in Daegu, South Korea. Photo / AP

Video footage apparently taken by a person on board that was posted on social media shows some passengers’ hair being whipped by the air blowing into the cabin through the open door.

Rescue workers move a passenger on a stretcher to an ambulance at Daegu International Airport in Daegu, South Korea. Photo / AP

Police detained the unidentified person who opened the door, the airline said. Their motive wasn’t immediately known.

The passengers included teenage athletes who plan to attend track and field competitions in Ulsan, another southeastern city.

“Children quivered and cried in panic,” the mother of one of the athletes said. “Those sitting near the exit must have been shocked the most.”

Nine passengers were so terrified that they were sent to hospital with breathing difficulties once the plane landed safely with the door still open, the Daily Mail reported.