A Chinese court has convicted a woman of endangering public security for opening the emergency exit of a moving plane that was preparing for a take-off.
Piao Yinglan, who was convicted by a court in Jilin province, pleaded guilty but escaped criminal punishment as her acts "did not cause casualties or severe economic losses," state television reported.
The woman was placed in detention for 10 days after carrying out the offence, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
Piao was a passenger on an Asiana Airlines flight from Yanji to Incheon in South Korea in February last year, the report said.
She opened the emergency exit after the plane had taxied for 38 metres in preparation for take-off, forcing the pilot to make an emergency stop.
The airliner's emergency slide was also deployed after the door opened.
The plane's emergency slide was deployed after the exit was opened.
The incident caused a four-hour delay and a direct economic loss of 34,000 yuan (USD 4,800) CCTV report said.
The report, however, did not mention why the woman opened the door.
A Chinese man was placed under detention for 15 days in August for attempting to open the emergency door and threatening to kill himself after having a row with his girlfriend when flying from Chongqing to Beijing.
A passenger on a flight from Hangzhou in Zhejiang province to Chengdu in Sichuan triggered a safety scare two years ago by yanking open an emergency exit minutes before the plane was due to take off to "get some fresh air", the report said.
In January last year, passengers on a flight from Kunming in Yunnan province to Beijing opened three emergency exit doors moments before take-off after becoming irritated with delays caused by snow.
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