First-time flyer breaks down in tears after huge error meant flight had to be evacuated

A first-time flyer was left in tears after her accidental error meant the entire flight had to be evacuated.

Air China flight CA2754 from the city of Quzhou was due to fly to Chengdu last week (4 July).

However, one passenger's blunder on-board meant that the scheduled flight had to be completely emptied of passengers and was ultimately cancelled last-minute, as per South China Morning Post.

A rookie flyer's mistake meant an entire plane-full of passengers had to be evacuated off the aircraft. (izanbar / Getty Images)

The woman, who has not been named, mistook an emergency exit for a toilet door and opened it up - which caused an evacuation slide to deploy immediately.

The affected passengers were then reportedly relocated to a hotel following the ordeal and given compensation of 400 yuan (US$55) each due to the major inconvenience.

The woman who opened the door was also taken to the same hotel where she was questioned by police.

Opening up about the situation, a passenger identified as Cheng told the Chongqing Morning Post: "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 passenger reportedly opened the emergency exit door thinking it was the toilet. (Richard Sharrocks / Getty Images)

According to Shine, a second passenger reportedly told the outlet: "The flight was delayed from its 8:45pm departure due to air traffic control.

"Around 9pm, it seemed no one was in the back operation area, and a passenger looking for the bathroom mistakenly opened the emergency door."

He continued: "There was no sound when the slide deployed. After the incident, they announced a further delay, and then canceled the flight. Air China took us to a hotel to rest."

Another passenger added: "A woman ran to the back cabin and opened the emergency door, causing everyone on the plane to stay at a hotel. Today, we received compensation of 400 yuan ($60)."

The South China Morning Post also reports that, depending on the aircraft model, the cost of activating an emergency exit door ranges from 100,000 to 200,000 yuan - which works out at about a staggering $28,000.

Passengers affected by the cancelled flight reportedly received $60 compensation. (Uma Shankar sharma / Getty Images)

Speaking of travel safety, there's a pretty important 'five-second safety tip' that all passengers should follow when going on holiday.

"As soon as I board a plane, I always take note of the nearest emergency exit, counting the number of seat rows between my location and that exit," said Golden Rule Travel agent Hans Mast last month, explaining that this ritual should only take up a handful of seconds, and means that - if someone around you is prioritising their luggage, you'll still be able to make a quick exit.

"In the event of an emergency, visibility could be impaired, and having this mental map can be life-saving," she continued, adding that this 'five-second hack' could even put you ahead of the crew in cases of an evacuation.

Tyla has reached out to Quzhou Airport and Air China for comment.