A passenger was restrained by crew and other flyers on Copa Airlines flight 208 from Brasilia to Panama City after attempting to open an emergency exit door approximately 30 minutes prior to arrival. He was reportedly brandishing a plastic knife taken from his meal tray.

The disturbance began when the man grabbed a flight attendant and attempted to use the plastic knife to take her hostage while making his way toward the exit. Another flight attendant attempted to intervene but struggled to restrain him due to his strength. Other flight attendants began to scream.

A photojournalist onboard captured part of the incident on video. He explained that several passengers wrestled the man to the ground and “beat him a lot until he almost lost consciousness.” Video shows the restrained passenger with a visibly bloodied face as he is held down, with his wrists later secured by the crew using zip ties.

Upon landing, Panamanian security personnel boarded the aircraft and took the restrained passenger into custody. According to Copa Airlines,

The crew acted quickly and, with the assistance of some passengers, applied the necessary safety protocols.

#BREAKING | A passenger on a Copa Airlines flight from Brasilia to Panama City tries to open the plane's emergency door mid-flight and is restrained by other passengers. pic.twitter.com/LMGNlcy9qa

— (@TheHeraldDiary) November 6, 2024

While pressurization prevents aircraft doors from opening midflight, they can still be opened at low altitude. In February, for instance, a passenger tried to open an exit door on an American Airlines flight from Albuquerque to Chicago. Then in March a flight attendant thwarted a drunk passenger’s attempt to open an emergency exit in China. Last year a passenger actually succeeded in getting the door open of an Asiana flight since they were just 800 feet from landing.

(HT: Paul H)