Passenger sets off emergency slide 'by accident'

[Ryan N]

Passenger sets off emergency slide 'by accident'
August 8, 2008 - 10:34AM

A Vietnam Airlines passenger faces a fine after he set off the inflatable emergency slide of a parked Airbus A321 at Taipei's airport last weekend, state media reported Thursday.

Cabin crew discovered the device had been released shortly before the jet was to fly to Hanoi, the VN Express online newspaper reported.

Vietnamese passenger Le Van Hanh, 26, triggered the device when he touched the emergency handle on one of the exit doors, the report said.

Hanh, who works in Taiwan and was on his second-ever flight, on Thursday met Vietnamese aviation authorities in Hanoi to sign a paper committing him to pay a fine of up to 50 million dong (A$3330).

Hanh said the incident was not his fault.

"The incident happened because the air hostess did not provide me with a thorough explanation," Hanh was quoted as telling the news site. "I touched (the door) by accident, not deliberately."

AFP