Federal charges have been lodged against a California
man after he allegedly attempted to strangle a flight attendant and stated that
he was “going to kill everybody”, causing his plane to divert. The mid-air
disturbance took place aboard a Frontier
Airlines flight from Orange County's John Wayne Airport to San Francisco International
Airport on September 9.
30-year-old Charles Angel Salva from Fremont initially
appeared before the court on Wednesday and was charged with “interference with flight crew members and
attendants”, according to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office, Central
District of California.
The incident occurred shortly after takeoff when flight
attendants noticed that oxygen masks in one row had been removed from the
overhead compartment. Upon investigation, they discovered Salva with his hand
inside the compartment. A fellow passenger who witnessed the event told the
police that Salva seemed claustrophobic and “like he wanted to get off the plane”.
The witness said that Salva also got his hand caught in the
overhead compartment after pulling out the oxygen masks before a fellow
passenger helped him free his hand. He then began yelling out obscenities, as
well as shouting things like, “We are all going to hell” and “This airplane is
going down”. He proceeded to grab several fellow passengers before running to
the rear of the plane, where flight attendants attempted to subdue him. The court
affidavit alleges that, at that point, Salva pushed a crew member and stated that he was going
to kill everybody on the plane.
“Passengers helped
restrain Salva, who broke out of flex cuffs and had to be restrained by a
seatbelt,” according to the release. “During the incident, Salva kicked one
flight attendant approximately six times in the leg, causing apparent bruising
and swelling, which required medical attention.” Another crew member, whom
Salva allegedly attempted to choke, also sustained two small marks on their
neck.
Given the severity of the situation, and the fact that the
crew felt unsafe attempting to get Salva back into his seat, the pilot decided
to divert the flight to Ontario International Airport. The plane landed there safely
at around 6 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told CNN,
adding that it will launch a probe into the incident. The
FBI and Ontario Police Department will also be conducting their own
investigations.
If convicted of
the charges with which he stands accused, Salva would face a statutory maximum
sentence of 20 years in federal prison, according to the release from the U.S.
Attorney’s Office. He is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service,
court records indicate, with his preliminary hearing set for September 26.
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