Thailand: Passenger opens plane door during takeoff

A passenger opened a plane's emergency door and deployed the slide during takeoff in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.

The incident occurred on a Thai Airway flight to Bangkok as the plane was taxiing to the runway at Chiang Mai Airport on the night of Wednesday, February 7.

According to witnesses, moments before the scheduled 9:05 p.m. departure, 40-year-old Canadian Wong Sai Heung rushed to open a front emergency door, which automatically triggered the evacuation slide to deploy.

The Airbus A320 operating flight TG121 from Chiang Mai to Bangkok has grounded.

Another passenger and flight attendants managed to subdue the man, who reportedly insisted he believed someone was about to attack him.

The passengers had to return to the airport terminal, where they then boarded another plane.

Wong Sai Heung was taken into custody.

The flight departed Chiang Mai at 00:34.

Bhubingrajanivej police charged the Chinese-Canadian national with endangering others and disobeying the instructions of pilots and flight attendants.

The man confessed to the charges against him.

Chiang Mai Airport General Manager Ronnakorn Chalermsanyakorn said Thursday that Thai Airway technicians had to cut the deployed slide.

The plane was parked on a parking pad and the blocked runway was reopened at 10:50 p.m. Wednesday, Ronnakorn said.

The incident affected 2,296 passengers on 13 flights, including three outbound flights, eight inbound planes that had to circle the airport and two flights that were diverted to other airports, he added.

Thai Airways, the national carrier, released a statement Thursday morning saying all passengers and crew on the affected flight were safe and sound.

See also:

Plane from Thailand crashes in Afghanistan

Panic on plane in Thailand: Engine explodes in mid-flight

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After trying to cover up, Thai Airways apologizes for burning passenger

Source: Bangkok Post