Sunday, January 24, 2010

FLIGHT DIVERTED TO DENVER DUE TO "UNRULY" PASSENGER

UPDATED



In just the first of such events today ....

From Maggie's Notebook:

Passengers took the man down. A traveler in first class grabbed the man's arms. According to witnesses, six or seven people helped subdue the disruptive passenger. He allegedly had several drinks and was seen taking pills. Passenger Ray Holloman described the man and the situation:
...as about 6' 1" and up to 270 pounds with blond hair and wispy facial hair. "He was a large guy and an unkempt guy," he said.
Holloman said the man brought on two carry on bags: a black backpack and a brown bag.

He carried the brown bag with him to the front of the plane.
After the man was subdued, passengers and flight attendants started questioning him.

When he was asked what was in the bag, Sandou [passenger] said the man said, "You'll see."
A passenger interviewed on FOXNews said the man thought he was on the wrong flight and he wanted off.

No link at Maggies . . . google links below:
The Aviation Herald - Simon Hradecky - ‎6 hours ago‎ A United Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N449UA performing flight UA-223 from Washington Dulles,DC to Las Vegas,NV (USA) with 129 passengers and 5 ...

KTNV Las Vegas - ‎13 hours ago‎
TSA and Denver officials have confirmed that United Airlines flight 223 en route from Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC, ...

Washington Post - Martin Weil, Clarence Williams - ‎11 hours ago‎
A United Airlines flight from Washington to Las Vegas was diverted to Denver on Saturday night after a passenger became ...

Washington Post - ‎5 hours ago‎
Police and United Airlines did not return calls from the Associated Press for further comment. The flight was carrying 129 passengers as well as five crew ...

UPDATED - Comments from Anonymous:

". . .FBI spokeswoman Kathy Wright said late Saturday night that he had been taken for a medical evaluation and was no longer in police custody. She said she could not identify the suspect, but said he was a resident of New York state.Officials will determine in the coming days whether to charge the passenger based on the evaluation, Wright said. He could face a charge of interference with a flight, which is a felony. She said the incident was not connected to terrorism. . ."link

In addition to being charged with a felony, every single one of these clowns who interfere with flight attendants and flight protocol should be fined triple the total costs of addressing the disturbance as well as have their name added to the no-fly list.

FWIW:
2009 airline revenue: Worst drop ever


12 comments:

Anonymous said...

more here casinoreign.com

"Sergei Sandou, 42, of Las Vegas, who was sitting two rows behind him, said he knew something was wrong when he saw the man walking to the front of the plane.

“I said, ‘This guy looks strange to me,’” Sandou told AOL News. “He tried to open the door.” Sandou said he headed to the front of the plane to confront him.

Passengers said the man also knocked on the cockpit door.

A traveler in first-class grabbed the man’s arms, according to witnesses. when Sandou got to the front, he took hold of the man, keeping his arms behind his back.

Barry Eynon, 59 of Coopersburg, Pa., said he also helped in bringing the man down.

“I would say there was six or seven people involved in subduing him,” said Eynon. “He was very disoriented.”

According to passengers, the man had several drinks while in air and was seen taking pills.

Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Suzanne Trevino said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was interviewing the man. She said she did not know the man’s name.

“All I can tell you was there was a disruptive passenger and the flight crew decided to divert that passenger to Denver,” said Trevino.

Ray Holloman, an AOL FanHouse reporter who was on the flight and sitting directly behind the passenger, said the man was sitting in seat 26E.

Holloman described the passenger as about 6′ 1″ and up to 270 pounds with blond hair and wispy facial hair. “He was a large guy and an unkempt guy,” he said.

Holloman said the man brought on two carry on bags: a black backpack and a brown bag.

He carried the brown bag with him to the front of the plane.

After the man was subdued, passengers and flight attendants started questioning him.

When he was asked what was in the bag, Sandou said the man said, “You’ll see.”

For that, “I twisted his arms a little more tight,” said Sandou.

Officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Transportation Security Administration and Denver Police Department were on scene.

Calls to the Denver police department and FBI were not immediately returned.

Flight 223 was originally delayed three hours for a mechanical problem."

Anonymous said...

". . .FBI spokeswoman Kathy Wright said late Saturday night that he had been taken for a medical evaluation and was no longer in police custody. She said she could not identify the suspect, but said he was a resident of New York state.Officials will determine in the coming days whether to charge the passenger based on the evaluation, Wright said. He could face a charge of interference with a flight, which is a felony. She said the incident was not connected to terrorism. . ."link

Anonymous said...

In addition to being charged with a felony, every single one of these clowns who interfere with flight attendants and flight protocol should be fined triple the total costs of addressing the disturbance as well as have their name added to the no-fly list.

Anonymous said...

FWIW:
2009 airline revenue: Worst drop ever

Pastorius said...

Thanks, Anonymous.

:)

Pastorius said...

No report on what was in the bag?

I wonder why.

It's not terrorism and he's not in police custody. So, what was in the bag?

Anonymous said...

It is thought he told airport staff that he was carrying a "freeze-dried compound" on behalf of a friend.

Looking up "Freeze dried white powder" and I get:

Dermalite freeze dried scrubbing soap

Freeze dried egg white powder

freeze dried aloe vera powder

StasiX™ human blood platelets

or any number of medicinal, biological, culinary etc. goods.

The sky's the limit.

Anonymous said...

Video report of United Airlines incident

Maggie Thornton said...

Thanks for the link! Can't believe I omitted reference links in my post. I must have been on my way out the door:-)

I've linked you in the post for excellent updates.

Pastorius said...

Maggie,
Thank YOU.

I know all about blogging while i'm on my way out the door.

Anonymous said...

http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/530997.html?nav=5006

Was the disruptive passenger a Buddhist?

"Thomm said that while he helped restrain the man with other passengers, the man talked to him a little bit.

The man showed Thomm a rope and medallion necklace he wore, saying that he was a Buddhist.. ."

Pastorius said...

That would be an interesting twist. Killing in the name of Buddha.