The man who opened an emergency exit door during an Asiana Airlines flight told investigators that he felt suffocated and tried to get off the plane quickly, according to police.
door during a flight in South Korea was formally arrested Sunday and faces up to 10 years in prison on a charge of violating the aviation security law, officials said.
Normally, the emergency exit doors cannot be opened mid-flight due to the difference in air pressure inside and outside of the aircraft. But during Friday's incident, the man succeeded in opening the door likely because the plane was flying at a low altitude while preparing to land and there wasn't much difference in pressure, according to Asiana Airlines officials.
"I wanted to get off the plane soon," the man, whose face was covered by a black hoodie, a cap and a mask, told reporters at the court ahead of its review of his arrest warrant. "I'm really sorry to kids," he said, in a likely reference to the teenage athletes.
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