Arrest warrant approved for man who opened door during flight

Police officials escort a man who opened an emergency exit door mid-flight on an Asiana Airlines plane to his warrant hearing at the Daegu District Court on Sunday. [NEWS1]

The Daegu District Court on Sunday approved an arrest warrant for a man in his 30s who opened an emergency exit door on an Asiana Airlines plane mid-flight two days earlier.

The suspect, identified only by his surname Lee, allegedly opened the door intentionally at 12:35 p.m. on Friday, as the plane began its descent onto the runway at Daegu International Airport.

Judge Cho Jeong-hwan, who presided over the review, cited the seriousness of the suspect’s action and the risk he could try to flee in approving the warrant request from the Daegu Dongbu Police Precinct.

The flight in question, OZ8124, departed Jeju International Airport at 11:49 a.m. Friday with 194 passengers aboard.

Lee is accused of opening the emergency exit door when the aircraft was still 213 meters (698 feet) above the ground.

While no one was fatally harmed, at least 12 people reported shortness of breath and were taken to hospital.

Officers from the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency took Lee into custody soon after the aircraft completed taxiing to its gate at the airport.

According to police officials, Lee said under questioning that he pulled the lever that opened the door because he felt “trapped” and he wanted to get off quickly.

He also told investigators that he had recently lost his job.

Witnesses aboard the plane said Lee opened the door shortly after the flight crew informed passengers that they would soon be landing in Daegu.

The door was open for at least eight minutes before the plane landed on the tarmac.

Videos and photographs taken by other passengers show passengers gripping their seats as strong winds rushed into the aircraft.

Under the Aviation Security Act, a passenger who tampers with doors, emergency exits or other devices aboard an airplane can be sentenced to a maximum prison term of 10 years.

In the aftermath of the incident, Asiana Airlines stopped selling certain emergency seats on flights that use Airbus A321-200 passenger jets — the model that flew from Jeju to Daegu on Friday.

From Sunday, the airline no longer allows passengers to reserve seat 26A on 11 A321-200 planes, which can carry 174 passengers, or seat 31A on three A321-200 planes, which can carry 195 passengers, according to a company statement.

The two seat numbers are located immediately next to the emergency doors on the two types of A321-200 aircraft.

The airline did not give a time frame for the suspension.

Air Seoul, a low-cost carrier owned by Asiana, also plans to halt the sale of seat 22A on its 195-seat A321-200 planes and seat 27A of its 220-seat A321-200 aircraft starting Monday.

According to local media reports, Air Busan, another low-cost carrier operated by Asiana, is said to be mulling a suspension of emergency exit seat reservations.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]