Official: Passenger makes premature exit from arriving SFO flight

A 17-year-old boy opened an emergency exit door of a Boeing 737, stepped out onto the wing and jumped to the runway after the plane landed at San Francisco International Airport Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

It was not immediately clear why the boy on a flight that originated in Panama City pushed open the weighted emergency exit door of the Copa Airlines flight, officials said.

The boy had been seated in an emergency exit row on Flight 208, according to the airline. He opened the door and slid down the wing to the tarmac just minutes after landing around 2:30 p.m., while the plane was still taxiing on the runway.

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Copa Airlines jetliners sit on the tarmac of Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Tuesday, March 8, 2016. On Tuesday, a 17-year-old passenger on a Boeing 737 Copa flight from Panama City was detained after he opened an exit door as the plane landed at San Francisco International Airport, stepped onto the wing and jumped to the runway. less Copa Airlines jetliners sit on the tarmac of Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Tuesday, March 8, 2016. On Tuesday, a 17-year-old passenger on a Boeing 737 Copa flight from Panama City was detained ... more Photo: Arnulfo Franco, AP Photo: Arnulfo Franco, AP Image 1 of / 22 Caption Close Official: Passenger makes premature exit from arriving SFO flight 1 / 22 Back to Gallery

A flight crew member closed the exit door and the plane was able to pull into its gate, where passengers filed out without further incident, the airline said.

After jumping off the aircraft, the teenager was first apprehended by a construction crew on the airfield then detained by San Francisco police, Doug Yakel, a spokesman for SFO, said in a statement. The boy was later transferred to the custody of federal investigators.

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The boy’s name was not immediately released, and it was not clear whether he was placed under arrest or what charges he might face as a result.

He is a U.S. citizen, Yakel said, adding that the boy was traveling alone.

The surprise event did not cause delays or cancellations of flights on other airlines, officials said.

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: MBodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @michael_bodley