Passenger Misconduct

Ninth Circuit Affirms Sentence
Of Passenger Who Cried Bomb
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) – The 9th Circuit affirmed the 27-month sentence of a Southwest airline passenger who claimed he was having a heart attack, became hysterical, demanded that the plane land and announced, “I have a bomb.” Shortly after a flight bound for Ontario, Calif., took off from Las Vegas, “the cabin was in total chaos” when Salvador Gonzalez said he had a bomb, the ruling states. A flight attendant claimed passengers were “throwing punches” and “were all on top of Mr. Gonzalez,” who was “hitting and kicking passengers,” while they tried to take him down and restrain him. Gonzalez was eventually handcuffed, and the plane was diverted back to Las Vegas. He pleaded guilty to interfering with a flight crew member and received an enhanced sentence for recklessly endangering the aircraft. The circuit upheld his nine-level sentence enhancement, saying Gonzalez’s hysteria was a threat not only to crew members and passengers, but also to the plane. See ruling in U.S. v. Gonzales via CourthouseNews.