Advertisement

Las Vegas man pleads guilty to interfering with flight

By Amy R. Connolly

Feb. 25 (UPI) -- A Las Vegas man pleaded guilty Friday to interfering with a flight crew after he charged the cockpit during an American Airlines flight and was restrained by passengers.

Jerry Ba Nguyen, 24, has been in custody since the Sept. 22 incident aboard the flight from Ontario, Calif., to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Pilots diverted the flight to Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport in Texas after Nguyen started banging on and kicking the cockpit door and made suicidal statements, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Advertisement

Nguyen faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and a 250,000 fine.

Officials said Nguyen seemed irate when he boarded the flight, but he eventually calmed.

"After takeoff, however, Nguyen's erratic behavior continued; he mumbled that the SIM card had been stolen from his phone and he made suicidal statements," officials said. "He also stated that the police were not his friends, and the U.S. government was responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks."

At one point, Nguyen walked to the front of the aircraft and "began banging on and kicking the cockpit door." Several passengers subdued him while flight attendants restrained him with flex cuffs. The plane landed without further incident. No one was injured.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines