A MAN, thought to be an off-duty member of the flight crew, was critically injured after jumping from the emergency exit a plane in Malaysia yesterday – before the flight had even taken off.

The man was due to travel on an Air Asia flight from Miri to Kuala Lumpur when he leapt from his seat and opened the emergency exit door.

Malaysian newspaper The Star said it had received an urgent call from a senior civil servant was on the flight, who explained:

When the plane was already accelerating on the runway and was about to take off, a young man suddenly opened the emergency door and jumped out.

The witness said the inflatable raft had automatically inflated as soon as the door was opened, causing panic among the other passengers. Flight attendants alerted the pilot who immediately stopped the flight.

The Borneo Post said the passenger was believed to be an off-duty crew member, who had boarded the flight with his girlfriend, and said it was unclear what provoked him to attempt to jump off.

It added that the on-duty flight team were powerless to stop his actions – as protocol requires them to remain seated and belted while the plane is about to take off.

The passenger, who is reported to be in his 20s, was taken to hospital. Flights from Miri were suspended for an hour after the incident.