First-Time Passenger Mistakenly Opens Emergency Door in China

At an airport in eastern China, a first-time flyer made a costly error by opening the emergency exit door, believing it was the restroom.

On Thursday night, as Flight 2754 prepared to take off from Quzhou Airport in the province of Zhejiang, a woman claiming to have never been on an airplane sneaked around the rear of the plane and unlocked the emergency exit without the flight attendants noticing.

According to a passenger named Cheng, the flight attendants on the  Air China Flight were “startled” when the evacuation slide protruded from the plane’s side. 

Because of this, the plane couldn’t take off, but the passengers were compensated with 400 yuan ($55) and provided a place to stay for the night. 

According to the Hong Kong news source, using the emergency exit might cost as much as $28,000. 

When the female passenger learned she would have to pay for the damages, she broke down in tears, according to Cheng. 

The passenger’s identity has not been disclosed, and it is uncertain whether she will face prosecution.

Aircraft exit doors are engineered to be quickly opened in an emergency to facilitate quick egress. However, flight attendants normally stress the importance of passengers not turning them on by mistake.

When an evacuation slide deploys, a few days of maintenance may be necessary, and planes may be forced to land.

Unauthorized opening of airplane emergency escape doors is punishable by administrative detention and hefty fines in China.

A  25-year-old newcomer to Sichuan, China, was penalized over $11,000 for opening the plane’s emergency exit, citing “stuffy” air as the reason.

Another traveler was held for twelve days in June 2017 at Beijing Airport after accidentally triggering an evacuation slide and opening the emergency exit.

In February 2015, at a cab stop in northeastern China’s Jilin province, another traveler unlocked an emergency exit door next to his seat. He was compelled to pay a settlement of 35,000 yuan (about $4,800).