SEOUL, Jan. 4 (UPI) — A passenger plane operated by a Korean Air subsidiary with 163 on board was forced to turn back 40 minutes after take-off when it was revealed one of the plane’s doors was not completely shut.
A noise alerted staff of the Jin Air flight to find the gap in the door while flying at 10,000 feet, prompting the pilot to return to the Philippine city of Cebu on Sunday, CNN reports. An in-flight announcement was made to inform the passengers of the 16-year-old Boeing 737-800 that they would not be arriving at the destination of Busan, South Korea.
Although no injuries were reported, some passengers complained about feeling nauseous during the return. No one was hospitalized after arriving in Cebu.
No malfunction was found on the door, and the door shut properly when reattempted. An investigation into the incident has been launched by South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The passengers boarded a new flight to Busan and arrived nearly 15 hours after their initially scheduled arrival. They will receive about $84 in compensation.
South Korea’s six low-cost airlines — Jin Air, Air Busan, Jeju Air, Easter Jet, T’way Air and Air Incheon — will now receive safety inspections following the incident.
