The Arrival - S3-E2
Other mistake: As part of the story line, three men see different tail numbers on the plane. However, the first and third sets of numbers are printed on a big sticker, because the numbers are a different style than the second set. Also, they used two different planes. The second tail number is N67588, which should be on the bottom of the wing, but that number is N107932.
Answer: It's explained in the episode. The aliens are experimenting to see how humans react to various scenarios. This just happens to involve them using super strength.
Thanks. It's been a long time since I saw the episode so I forgot.