Copa E190 over Caribbean Sea on Apr 5th 2013, odour on board

Last Update: April 6, 2013 / 16:00:22 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
Apr 5, 2013

Classification
Incident

Airline
Copa Airlines

Departure
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Destination
Panama City, Panama

Aircraft Type
Embraer ERJ-190

ICAO Type Designator
E190

A Copa Airlines Embraer ERJ-190, flight CM-103 from Port-au-Prince (Haiti) to Panama City (Panama) with 93 passengers and 5 crew, was enroute over the Caribbean Sea when an odour of ammonium developed in the cabin causing breathing problems, suffocation and eye irritation to passengers. The crew diverted the aircraft to the nearest airport in Barranquilla (Colombia) for a safe landing, 7 passengers needed medical treatment.

Authorities quickly identified a passenger, described as a shaman and voodoo healer, had carried various bottles with liquids claimed to be medicine, one of those bottles was leaking releasing the smell of ammonium. None of the substances was prohibited however.

All passengers including the shaman continued the journey on the aircraft, that departed Barranquilla about 75 minutes after landing and reached Panama City with a delay of 3 hours.

Media in Panama and Colombia widely report the flight was CM-102 from Panama City to Port au Prince landing in Barranquilla at 19:35L (00:35Z Apr 6th), that flight however departed Panama City at 11:51L (16:51Z) and landed in Port au Prince at 15:23L (19:23Z). CM-103 left Port au Prince at 18:56L (22:56Z) and was estimated to reach Panama City at 20:20L (01:20Z) (the airline's website actually states in flight status provided by an external service that the aircraft landed in Panama City at that time).
Incident Facts

Date of incident
Apr 5, 2013

Classification
Incident

Airline
Copa Airlines

Departure
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Destination
Panama City, Panama

Aircraft Type
Embraer ERJ-190

ICAO Type Designator
E190

This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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