First time flyer opens plane door for fresh air

[zwiebel]

A first time flyer on a Chinese airline caused a stir when he got up and opened the emergency door as the plane took off. He wanted some fresh air and had no idea it wasn't allowed, or a good idea.

'...Sunday’s incident, on a Xiamen Air flight from Hangzhou to Chengdu, seems to have been an innocent mistake by a first-time flier. Startled fellow passengers took shots of the incident on their mobile phones, later posting them on social media.'

Staff were able to safely secure the door, explain to the passenger why it had to remain so, and move him to another seat before the flight took to the skies. He won't face charges as authorities say it was a genuine mistake and the flight wasn't delayed.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/18/chinese-passenger-opens-plane-door-for-fresh-air

 

[zwiebel]

Here's where he'd just opened the door.

http://www.kwiknews.my/news/chinese-passenger-opens-emergency-exit-‘to-get-some-fresh-air’

 

[zwiebel]

And this is a link to a brief video of the passenger just sitting happily by the wide open door, wondering when the plane's going to take off.

UN HOMBRE ABRE LA PUERTA DE UN AVION EN PLENO DES…: http://youtu.be/v9DxyqHXo1s

 

[Meryl12]

I would be guessing that the "first time" passenger was suffering from claustrophobia. It gets worse in a plane, especially when the engines start up and the plane starts taxiing, he would have suddenly got an attack of claustrophobia. I don't suffer from claustrophobia, but people who do, have told me that they have a tranquilizer in their pockets, and take it at about that same time, it makes the claustrophobia go away, but they don't enjoy the flight.
His panic attack would have caused panic attacks in lots of other people on board.