The slight difference in pressure when the plane is close to the ground allows passengers to open the emergency exit on an Asiana Airlines plane in flight, according to experts.
In an incident that occurred in South Korea on May 26, a male passenger on an Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 opened the emergency door at an altitude of 200 meters as the plane was about to land at Daegu Airport.
Aviation experts say this is a rare incident because the aircraft’s emergency doors are designed to be tightly closed in air and can withstand large pressure differences. “They’re basically stuck in a closed position during flight,” said Nick Wilson, an associate professor of aeronautics at the University of North Dakota in the United States.
The emergency exit on the Asiana Airlines plane after the May 26 incident. Photo: Reuters
The doors and exit doors are part of the systems that ensure that the cabin is always watertight and maintains the same pressure as on the ground. If not pressurized, the cabin will rapidly lose pressure when the aircraft is operating at high altitudes, causing the crew and passengers to starve of oxygen, leading to unconsciousness and death.
“At an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, the pressure difference inside and outside the fuselage makes opening the exit door completely impossible. The pressure in the cabin is great enough to force the door to adhere to the aircraft’s fuselage.”, explained retired Colonel Steve Ganyard, a former US Navy pilot with more than 4,200 hours of flight time.
However, the pressure difference inside and outside the plane will decrease as the plane descends to prepare for landing at the airport. “Atmospheric pressure can equal that of the compartment at a very low altitude, allowing the exit door to open as in this incident,” Colonel Ganyard said.
Experts believe that the incident happened as the plane was about to land, when the crew and passengers were wearing seat belts. “No one will be sucked out of the plane like in the movie, but the person opening the door certainly risks falling out of the plane,” said associate professor Wilson.
On the flight were 48 students who were on their way to participate in the national sports festival in the city of Ulsan, about 70 kilometers southeast of Daegu. At least 12 people were lightly injured, a Daegu fire department official said.
South Korean authorities are questioning the passenger who opened the door. According to police, the passenger was traveling alone and was not intoxicated when he was arrested, but did not explain why.
The plane carrying almost 200 people opened the door during landing
The Asiana Airlines plane’s emergency exit door opened during landing on May 26. Video: BNO News
Vu Anh (According to the Washington Post)
