Passenger opens aircraft's emergency exit door moments before takeoff because she wants 'fresh air', arrested
While flights can be undeniably a challenging experience, one female passenger took things a little too far when she decided to open the emergency exit door just before take-off because she felt the cabin was "too stuffy."
The bizarre incident unfolded on Xiamen Airlines Flight 8215 that was scheduled to take off from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in the capital of Central China's Hubei Province on September 23, according to the Sun. The passenger claimed she wanted "fresh air."
Cabin crew on the flight said it happened towards the end of boarding and reported that flight attendants had warned the passenger, and others near her, to not touch the lever on the emergency door after they were in their seats.
However, the woman promptly ignored the warnings and went on to open the door because the cabin was "too stuffy" and because she wanted "fresh air". A video that captured the aftermath has gone viral on social media and clocked over 18 million views.
In the video, cabin crew can be seen staring at the open emergency door with a look of disbelief on their faces. While one of the passengers seated near the exit seems to see the funny side, another seemed irritated and was shaking her head.
The incident meant that the flight crew and passengers, who were set to fly to the city of Lanzhou, which is the capital of China's north-western province of Gansu, were forced to wait on the aircraft as police responded to the scene and arrested the woman.
Xiamen Airlines told the China Press that the flight was ultimately delayed by an hour because they needed a crew to shut the emergency door once again, following which a second-round of safety inspections had to be carried out as well.
Wuhan airport police have not released the identity of the female passenger responsible for the fiasco, and it is currently unclear what kind of punishment she is facing for the stunt.