Passenger Arrested for Trying to Open the Door of a Copa Plane During Landing

A passenger who tried to open a door of a Copa Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft during the landing phase was arrested at Tocumen International Airport on Tuesday, November 5.  The incident occurred on flight CM204, which was flying between Brasilia and Panama City.  Flights were normal until, during landing, one of the passengers tried to open one of the aircraft doors and was stopped by the crew with the assistance of some passengers. Copa Airlines confirmed the incident and said that the passenger was disruptive, a term given to people who display altered and violent behavior that can interfere with the crew’s operations, who in this case tried to open one of the aircraft’s doors just minutes before landing at Tocumen International Airport.  “The crew acted quickly and, with the assistance of some passengers, applied the necessary security protocols to control the situation until landing in Panama. Upon arrival in Panama, national security personnel boarded the aircraft and removed the passenger, to bring him before the judicial authorities.” They added that all security protocols were applied to ensure the safety of the flight and the passengers.  Flight CM204 had left Brasilia at 1:55 a.m. on Tuesday and landed in Panama City at 6:05 a.m.  Some videos recorded by passengers and shared on social media capture the moment when a group of passengers and crew neutralized the disruptive passenger.