First-time flyer accidentally opens emergency door on plane
A first-time passenger reportedly opened the emergency door of the plane she was on while trying to find the toilet in China recently.
Not the loo: Passenger opens emergency door
A Chinese woman could be facing serious trouble after she accidentally opened the emergency door and deployed the evacuation slide while trying to find the toilet on a flight recently.
As reported by Daily Mail, the woman, who was travelling on a plane for the very first time, was onboard an Air China flight from the eastern city of Quzhou, in the Zheijang Province, to Chengdu on 4 July.
The plane was (luckily!) still waiting on the tarmac before take off, when the woman went to the back of the plane to find the toilet.
Not realising what she was about to do, the woman then opened the emergency door which deployed the evacuation slide which gave everyone on board a surprise.
Flight gets cancelled
Once the slide had been released, the crew had to move the woman and other passengers off the plane and the flight was then cancelled.
The woman’s unfortunate mistake could sadly result in her having to pay over R500 000 for activating the emergency door, as the plane will now be grounded for maintenance for several days.
On top of those steep charges, she could also face huge fines and even administrative detention as it’s currently illeagal to open emergency doors on a plane in China.
An interesting fact to know
A really interesting fact about airplane emergency exit doors is that they are designed to be nearly impossible to open during flight due to the difference in pressure inside and outside the cabin.
When an aircraft is at cruising altitude, the pressure inside the cabin is significantly higher than the pressure outside. This pressure differential ensures that the doors remain securely closed.
This design is a crucial safety feature, preventing accidental or intentional opening of the doors while the plane is in the air.