A passenger on a flight to South Korea caused panic after he tried to open a plane’s emergency door mid-flight, with dramatic video showing flight attendants tackling him.
The suspect, who has not been named, is alleged to have sat in a cabin crew seat without permission on Korean Air flight KE658 from Bangkok, Thailand, to Incheon, South Korea, on November 7.
When a flight attendant ordered him to leave, he reportedly threatened her, despite a warning that he may have violated Korea’s Aviation Security Act.
Footage shows flight attendants rushing to restrain the man as he grabbed the door latch and reportedly tried to open it.
Crews were able to restrain the man, who was reportedly threatening them and behaving aggressively, and he was taken to a separate area to calm down.
A passenger on a flight to South Korea caused panic after allegedly trying to open a plane’s emergency door mid-flight
A flight attendant goes to restrain the man, who allegedly threatened one of the crew members after sitting in their seat
Several flight attendants try to grab the man after seeing him go to the door
The Airbus A330-300 with 238 passengers on board landed without delay at Incheon International Airport in Seoul around 4:45 am.
The man was handed over to the Incheon International Airport police for investigation.
Korean Air said in a statement: “The incident was managed according to our established security protocols to prioritize passenger safety and operational integrity.
“As long as the situation was successfully contained, we will cooperate with the relevant authorities in investigating this matter.
“Korean Air maintains a zero-tolerance approach to behavior that endangers aviation safety and will continue to respond decisively to such incidents.”
In June 2023, a teenage passenger caused panic on a Jeju Airlines flight from Cebu, the Philippines, to Seoul, South Korea, when he also tried to open the plane’s emergency door.
The man is tackled to the ground by the crew members. He was later handed over to the police
The South Korean man, 19, reportedly rushed to open the door but was quickly overpowered by the crew “using a lasso.”
They allegedly tied him up with rope and zip ties and brought him to the front of the plane to be observed.
He reportedly tested positive for drugs upon landing. He was handed over to police at Incheon International Airport.