A first-time female plane passenger has accidentally opened an emergency door and deployed the evacuation slide while trying to find the toilet in China.
The woman was onboard an Air China flight CA2754 from the eastern city of Quzhou Airport (JUZ) to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU), in the Zheijang Province.
The aircraft was waiting on the tarmac when the first-time flyer went to the back of the plane to use the toilet.
It is believed that during this time, the passenger went looking for the aircraft lavatory, found the emergency exit door and opened it after thinking it was the toilet.
But when she opened a door she mistook to be the toilet door, the evacuation slide unfolded in front of her.
When the emergency slide deployed, all passengers had to exit the aircraft via the slide and the flight was eventually canceled.
As it was the last flight to Chengdu and the incident happened late in the evening, all passengers were booked into a hotel by the airline and were flown the following day. Passengers were also given compensation worth $55.
One passenger told local media that the woman opened the door without anyone noticing: ‘When the evacuation slide popped out, even the flight attendants were startled.
‘The female passenger was in tears when she heard that she would need to pay damages.’
The woman could end up having to pay up to £22,000 for activating the emergency door, as the plane will now be grounded for maintenance for several days.
In addition, she could face large fines and even administrative detention as opening the emergency exit doors on a plane is illegal in China.
After disembarking the plane, the woman was questioned by police.
A picture shared on Chinese social media shows the plane standing on the tarmac with the slide in place and the door open.
The incident highlights the importance of the passenger safety briefing and being aware that, despite flying being a common mode of transport, some people are on board for the first time
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