opened emergency exit airplane

Needing Fresh Air, Passenger Opens Airplane Emergency Door Right Before Takeoff

Probably not a wise decision

A Southern Airlines flight at Chengdu Airport was delayed 40 minutes earlier this week when an unidentified passenger opened the plane’s emergency exit while awaiting take-off.

The passenger sitting in 41A thought he could use the red emergency exit handle to roll down the window, but he quickly found out he was wrong.

opened emergency exit airplane

As cold air blew into the cabin, the surprised passenger explained to the flight crew that he had accidentally opened the door because he “wanted to get a breath of fresh air before takeoff”.

Flight CZ3693 finally left for Urumqi, but not before all 130 passengers were evacuated, rechecked, and boarded the plane a second time.

Reports are silent about whether the passenger will suffer any consequences after the delay.

opened emergency exit airplane

Passenger 41A is certainly not alone in opening airplane doors.

On December 16, 2014, a 52 year-old passenger on a Xiamen Airlines flight in Hangzhou had also opened the emergency door to the plane before takeoff, explaining that he, too, just wanted to take “a breath of fresh air” before take-off.

Last year, a passenger on another Southern Airlines plane explained that opening the door was “no big deal” shortly before he was arrested by police. In 2014, a passenger in a plane that just landed in Hainan opened the door before reaching the boarding gate because he “wanted to get off the plane quicker“, something that had also happened in February 2008.

Charles Liu

The Nanfang's Senior Editor