Chinese man opens plane door, mistaking handle for handrail!

Image
Press Trust of India Beijing
Last Updated : Mar 16 2015 | 6:42 PM IST
In a bizarre incident, a Chinese man opened the the emergency exit of an aircraft when it was about to take off, mistaking the door handle for a handrail to steady himself.
The male passenger, aged 42, who was travelling with his wife, was later placed in detention for 10 days for his "mistake", Xinjiang's local news portal iyaxin.Com said.
The man and his wife were on a flight on Saturday from an airport in Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang, travelling to Zhengzhou, in Henan province.
He pulled the handle to unlock and opened the door as the Urumqi Airlines plane was preparing for take-off.
"I thought it was just like the handrail on the bus, which I can hold on to by myself if I find myself sitting unsteadily," the man was quoted as saying.
He said it was his first time that he had sat next to an aircraft's security door and had been shocked to find the door had swung open.
Crew on flight UQ2505 quickly alerted police, and the man was taken away for questioning. The flight was delayed for about half an hour, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
It is the latest in a string of incidents involving mainland Chinese passengers opening emergency exits as aircraft prepare to take off.
Last month, an unidentified man was also detained for 10 days after opening an aircraft's emergency exit as passengers were still boarding at the Nanjing Lukou International Airport.
He was quoted as saying, "This door is not important", when asked by airline staff why he had opened the door.
In December, a first-time traveller opened the emergency exit of a Xiamen Air passenger jet to "get some fresh air" just before it was due to take off.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 16 2015 | 6:42 PM IST

Next Story