Passenger takes flight attendant hostage on Copa Airlines flight
One of the passengers on the Copa Airlines flight from Brasília to Panama City took a flight attendant hostage and grabbed a knife. The man attempted to force open the aircraft's emergency doors. The other passengers on the plane subdued the assailant. A recording of the incident is circulating online.
A very dangerous situation occurred on a Copa Airlines aircraft on Tuesday, 5th November. According to witnesses, one of the passengers grabbed a plastic knife distributed during meals, took a flight attendant hostage, and then attempted to reach the aircraft's emergency doors.
A flight attendant started screaming, and another tried to hold him back but couldn't because he was too strong, reports Cristiano Carvalho, a witness of the incident, in an interview with "The New York Post."
The man attempted to open the doors just after the crew announced the beginning of the landing process, ignoring safety instructions. The passengers reacted very quickly and knocked the attacker to the floor. "They beat him a lot until he almost lost consciousness," said Cristiano Carvalho.
After landing in Panama, the Panamanian national security unit arrested the passenger.
Panamanian airline Copa Airlines stated that after the incident on Tuesday, they were commending the crew and passengers for their quick and decisive reaction to the aggressive man.
The crew acted quickly and, with the assistance of some passengers, applied the necessary safety protocols, reads the statement.
A recording of the incident was published on the X platform (formerly Twitter). In the video, we see passengers and crew struggling with the attacker. Several people subdued the man.
