Video Shows Passenger Attempting to Open Plane's Emergency Door
The quick thinking of passengers may have saved the day after a man aboard a Copa Airlines flight attempted to force open the plane's emergency door, mid-flight. The ensuing struggle can seen in video footage circulating online, in which the man was left beaten and bloodied.
The incident occurred on a flight from Brasilia to Panama City on Tuesday morning. The New York Post reports that the flight was only about 30 minutes from landing when the unnamed man allegedly rushed at a flight attendant near the back of the plane and attempted to take her hostage with the plastic knife from this food tray.
"A flight attendant started screaming, and another tried to hold him back, but couldn’t because he was too strong," photojournalist Cristiano Carvalho told the publication. "He went past the back emergency door after the warning. Then he started moving forward and trying to open it."
At that moment, the man's fellow passengers jumped into action to prevent him from opening the door, which can be seen below in footage posted by the Brazilian news agency Coluna Esplanada.
Quase tragédia: passageiro em surto tentou abrir a porta na janela de emergência em voo de Brasília para o Panamá nesta manhã de terça-feira (5). Foi contido por passageiros e detido pela polícia no destino pic.twitter.com/cq125B89WB
— Coluna Esplanada (@colunaesplanada) November 5, 2024
Another photo shows the aftermath of the beating, with the man's face bloodied. Carvalho said he was beaten until he "almost lost consciousness." When he was subdued, crew members were said to have secured his wrists with zip ties.
Foto do passageiro que surtou no voo da Copa Airlines de Brasília ao Panamá, contido por passageiros. Ele tentou abrir a porta na janela de emergência em pleno voo. pic.twitter.com/Rjboxajgj9
— Coluna Esplanada (@colunaesplanada) November 5, 2024
After landing, the man was reportedly escorted off the plane in handcuffs by authorities. In a statement, Copa Airlines praised passengers and crew for helping get the situation under control.
"The national security team entered the aircraft and removed the passenger, taking him to the judicial authorities," the airline wrote. "The crew acted quickly and, with the assistance of some passengers, applied the necessary safety protocols to control the situation until landing in Panama. Thanks to the professionalism of the crew, the safety of the flight and passengers was protected."