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| Passengers duct-tape troublesome passenger on Hawaii-to-LA flight |
| 2003-09-15 |
| A pack, not a herd. A Texas man who disrupted a United Airlines flight from Hawaii was subdued with the help of passengers and duct tape, authorities said Sunday. No one was reported injured, said Sgt. Carl Sansbury of the Los Angeles International Airport police. Brian Kane Eager, 36, of Austin, was held for 72 hours to undergo a psychological examination, FBI Special Agent Matt McLaughlin said. United Flight 54 left Honolulu for Los Angeles at about 8:50 p.m. Saturday. About 90 minutes after takeoff, the man got out of his seat and began talking and wandering the aisle, passenger Joseph Gugerty said. "He was pacing and reading the Bible," said Gugerty who was returning to Kentucky, where he is chief of communications in The Associated Press’ Louisville bureau. "They let him wander back and forth in the plane until he started to move forward," Gugerty said. "Then they surrounded him and pushed him to the floor." About a half-dozen passengers were involved, he said. "He becomes agitated. A baby starts crying. He says he has to go help the baby and pushes his way past the flight attendant," McLaughlin said. "He was not trying to gain access to the flight deck." Passengers and a federal immigration and customs agent who was traveling for personal reasons helped restrain the man but he managed to slip out of handcuffs, McLaughlin said. The agent then used duct tape to restrain him, and the man was turned over to local police when the plane landed in Los Angeles at about 4:45 a.m., authorities said. He could face a federal charge of interfering with a flight crew, Sansbury said. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #10 I don't fly much any more, and I'm glad! If I did, however, I'd willingly give the stews and other flight crew a hand in anything they needed. I've been on enough military cattle-car flights to know the ropes. You've never experienced air travel until you've made the trip from McGuire AFB, in New Jersey, to Frankfurt, in Germany, with 300 other active duty military and dependents, half of which seem to be under 4. The crew on those flights needed all the help they could get, and you'd be surprised at the number of single GIs that end up changing diapers and holding a scared child while Mom was caring for another one. I don't know that I'd have bagged this fruitcake, but I'm glad someone did. I think eventually the word will get out that Americans have gotten over their "passive sheep" phase, and are back into that World War II "don't tread on me" attitude. Hope some OTHERS are watching... |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-9-15 7:18:52 PM |
| #9 Zeesh...in a pinch I could stab with pens or hair clips or by by breaking my tiny little booze bottle; I can bind with my purse straps, bra straps or computer cords. Next thing we will all have to fly naked after undergoing body cavity searches. |
| Posted by: Becky 2003-9-15 6:33:10 PM |
| #8 When they pulled the tape off, was that a human-rights violation? My wrists are sort of harry. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-9-15 3:04:06 PM |
| #7 Most likely the duct tape was part of flight crews equipment. Lots of lockers, bins, etc you don't want flapping around during flight. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-9-15 2:34:26 PM |
| #6 It's not listed as specifically prohibited on this TSA list, but it depends on how widely you define "Tools" perhaps. I can't imagine it is prohibited, though. |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-9-15 2:12:46 PM |
| #5 Wait a miniute.... Isn't Duct Tape one of the things they dont allow on planes? Where did this come from? Dishman is right on the money. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2003-9-15 11:41:51 AM |
| #4 Top WW II inventions: Nuclear weapons, WD-40, and Duct tape. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-9-15 11:29:34 AM |
| #3 There's a lesson here: Always carry duct tape. |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-9-15 11:24:58 AM |
| #2 "He was pacing and reading the Bible..." One of those white-knuckle fliers... Not to mention an obnoxious jerk. Dishman's right on. |
| Posted by: .com (Prez for Life - My Isles of Langerhans) 2003-9-15 3:52:18 AM |
| #1 Never again will a stew have to ask for help more than once... if that. |
| Posted by: Dishman 2003-9-15 2:19:46 AM |