Unruly passenger threatens to ‘kill everybody’ and choke flight attendant on Frontier flight
A man from California was taken into custody on Wednesday after allegedly trying to strangle a flight attendant and making threats to kill everyone aboard a Frontier Airlines flight. This disruptive behavior led to the plane being diverted, according to authorities.
Charles Angela Salva, a 30-year-old from Fremont, was on Flight 3581 which was on its way from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana to San Francisco International Airport on Monday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California reported that if found guilty, he could face a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison for obstructing crew members during a flight.
Frontier Airlines confirmed the occurrence stating it involved a passenger who “physically assaulted members of the flight crew and had to be restrained, forcing the flight to divert to Ontario, California.”
One witness mentioned to the authorities that Salva appeared to be “claustrophobic” and seemed desperate to leave the aircraft.
Shortly after the flight took off, crew members observed that the oxygen masks in a middle section of the cabin were pulled down, and they discovered that Salva had been trying to use them and got his hand stuck.
Salva then began shouting profanities at the crew, including remarks like, “We are all going to hell” and “This airplane is going down.” He left his seat, grabbed at nearby passengers, and ran toward the back of the plane.
As the crew made attempts to control him, Salva struck multiple crew members, reportedly trying to choke one of them, which left small marks on their neck. He also shoved another flight attendant while threatening, “I’m going to kill everybody.”
After breaking free from the flex cuffs, he had to be re-secured using a seatbelt with help from other passengers. He kicked one flight attendant in the legs several times, resulting in bruises and swelling that required medical attention, according to the statement.
The aircraft was diverted to Ontario International Airport. “We sincerely thank the flight crew for their professionalism and the passengers who assisted during this incident, as well as local and federal law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, for their commitment to ensure justice,” Frontier Airlines expressed.
The FBI and the Ontario Police Department are actively investigating the matter, as indicated in the announcement.
As of Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration reported 897 incidents involving unruly passengers this year.