GoAir passenger tried to open exit door mid-air thinking it was washroom door

The passengers on a New Delhi-Patna GoAir Flight G8 149 faced a piquant situation on September 22 when a man in his twenties tried to open the exit door even though the plane was mid-air. The passenger had mistaken the exit door for the washroom door.

No one paid any attention when the man got up from his seat and walked towards the rear of the plane. However, as soon as passengers saw him opening the door, they yelled in panic and called the cabin crew. The cabin crew also rushed in and all of them finally managed to stop him.

The person was kept under watch during the entire flight duration and later handed over Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) once the flight landed in Patna. The CISF personnel later handed him over to the Airport police station in Patna.

Patna Airport police station house officer (SHO) Mohammad Sanowar Khan told India Today that the passenger confessed having committed the "mistake."

"The youth from Patna, who works for a private bank in Ajmer, was a first-time flier. We have investigated the entire episode. He tried to open the emergency exit, mistaking it for the washroom door. It momentarily created some panic mid-air. He apologised when he realised his mistake," the SHO added. The Patna police later released him after making him sign a personal bond.

While aircraft engineers claim that the doors of an airborne airplane cannot be opened because of air-pressure, a mere attempt to do it created panic among the passengers.