Adult Diaper Mistaken for Bomb, Plane Makes Emergency Landing In US

The mere mention of a bomb threat has the power to strike fear into the hearts of both passengers and airline crew. And a similar incident occurred on the Copa Airlines flight, originally bound for Tampa from Panama City, as it had to return for investigation due to a suspected bomb threat shortly after being airborne for about an hour.

The Copa Airlines flight was en route to Tampa, Florida, from Panama City's Tocumen International Airport on Friday when it received information about a suspicious object in one of the plane's restrooms. The aircraft returned to Panama, where it was directed to an isolated tarmac. Subsequently, all 144 passengers were evacuated, and an anti-explosives team thoroughly examined the plane.

However, the security team at Panama City's Tocumen International Airport conducted a comprehensive search of the flight and found that the suspected bomb was, in fact, an adult diaper.

The National Police of Panama wrote on its X handle that "After an alert by @aacivilpty of a foreign object on an airline, the Special Forces units activated the emergency protocol, and when verified, it turned out to be a disposable adult diaper."

El Subcomisionado José Castro, Jefe del Departamento de Seguridad Aeroportuaria de la Policía Nacional dentro del @TocumenAereo, brinda declaraciones sobre la presencia de un pañal desechable envuelto en una bolsa de color negra dentro del baño de una aeronave. pic.twitter.com/qWKcQPTViq

— Policía Nacional (@ProtegeryServir) October 13, 2023

"We had it on a secure runway where police special explosives canine units and special forces examined the object and found it to be an adult diaper, ruling out any risk," Jose Castro, the head of the airport's security team, said.

The flight initially departed at 9:36 am, but after returning to Panama City for the security check, it took off again shortly after 2 pm, eventually arriving in Tampa just before 7 pm, according to The New York Post.