A woman who had never flown on an airplane opened the flight’s emergency exit after mistaking it for a restroom, canceling the entire flight.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), a passenger opened the emergency exit door right before takeoff at Zhejiang’s Quzhou airport. The plane was scheduled to fly from Quzhou to Chengdu.
The plane was supposed to take off at 8:45 PM that day, but it was delayed.
When the passenger opened the emergency door, the escape slide deployed. Consequently, the flight was canceled and all the passengers had to disembark the plane.
Passengers stayed at a complimentary accommodation and received 400 yuan (about $62) as compensation. The passenger went through a police investigation after the incident. During the police investigation, she explained that she thought the emergency exit door was a restroom door as it was her first time flying.
On the other hand, no one on the flight realized what she was trying to open. One passenger said, “The crew was shocked when the evacuation slide popped out,” adding, “She cried when she heard she had to pay for damages.”
Online users responded, “Flying for the first time is no excuse. She could have asked the crew where the bathroom was,” and “Isn’t the problem that the emergency door can be easily opened?”
Airplane emergency exits are designed to be easily accessible in emergencies. However, when the emergency escape slide is deployed, the plane cannot operate for several days. It is reported that the costs to deploy the emergency escape slide are around 100,000 and 200,000 yuan (about $ 15,000 to $30,000).
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