An American Airlines passenger prevented a plane from taking off — forcing others to reschedule their flights — after she was asked to get off her phone, federal prosecutors said.
The woman refused the flight attendants’ request, which made her “irate” as the plane heading to Chicago was departing from Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York on April 19, 2022, according to court documents.
She left her seat, headed toward the front of the plane, argued with passengers and spit on one, an affidavit says. Then, she’s accused of taking out her phone and recording.
The situation escalated when the woman realized she was “going to be in trouble” and decided to leave, according to the affidavit. With the plane in motion, she pushed a flight attendant, opened the front door and slid down the aircraft’s emergency slide after causing it to activate, the affidavit says.
The woman, 24, of Rochester, was sentenced to time served and three years’ probation after she pleaded guilty to two counts of simple assault in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the U.S., the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York announced in a May 26 news release.
She agreed to pay $42,128 in restitution as part of her sentencing, according to her plea agreement.
McClatchy News contacted the woman’s attorneys for comment on May 30 and didn’t immediately receive a response.
Because the woman caused the plane’s emergency slide to deploy once she opened the front door, American Airlines deemed the aircraft inoperable, the affidavit says.
The passengers were forced to get off and make new flight plans as a result, according to the affidavit.
The woman is accused of causing $50,000 in damage.
After she slid out the plane, she tried running away, but airport officials and Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority apprehended her on the tarmac, the affidavit says.
She’s accused of resisting arrest and damaging a wall once inside the transportation authority’s police station, according to the affidavit.
After her arrest, the woman told authorities she was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, according to investigators.
She said she “was upset that the flight was delayed, and she wanted to get off,” the affidavit says.
She also said she spit on a passenger because they were recording her, according to the affidavit.
McClatchy News contacted American Airlines for comment on May 30 and was awaiting a response.
In 2023, there have been 708 reports of unruly plane passengers to date, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Reports of unruly passengers spiked in 2021, with 5,973 reports made, FAA data shows. This number decreased in 2022, with 2,455 reports made.
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