Drunk Female Passengers Cause Flight to Turn Back Around
Ever hear your parents tell you that if you don't behave they'll turn the car around? Well, two drunk female passengers had that experience ... but on a plane.
Canadian police arrested two inebriated twenty-somethings, Lilia Ratmaski and Milana Muzikante, after Sunwing Flight 656 had to be diverted back to Toronto (on its way to Cuba) following a "disruption on board." According to Canada's Global News, the two troublemakers drank a ton of duty-free booze, lit a cigarette in the lavatory, then proceeded to fight and make threats.
Although this was on a Canadian airline, could the same thing happen when departing from the States?
Mistakes on a Plane
Ratmaski and Muzikante not only caused the plane to be turned around, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) had two fighter jets scrambled to escort the plane full of unhappy passengers back to Toronto. Global News reports that once they landed, the two drunken passengers were charged with:
- Smoking on board an aircraft;
- Endangering the safety of an aircraft;
- Mischief endangering safety; and
- Uttering threats.
Any one of these might have been reason to turn a plane departing from the U.S. around; even having a restless service dog has been enough. And although the two drunk girls here got tanked on duty-free booze sold on the flight, don't even think about drinking from your own stash that you brought on board.
It may be legal to bring 3.4 ounces in tiny bottles in your carry-on, but FAA rules prohibit you from actually drinking it unless a flight attendant serves it to you.
Don't Be an 'Ugly' Airline Passenger
Airline travel is a great opportunity to mingle with people from all over the country and even the globe. Here are a few tips on how to avoid being an "ugly" airline passenger:
- Obey flight attendants (you can end up in handcuffs if you don't);
- Don't make threats (even threatening jokes aren't smart); and
- Wear clothing (some airlines actually do kick people off over poor sartorial choices)
And for law's sake, try not to drain the handle of rum you just bought until after you land.
Follow FindLaw for Consumers on Facebook and Twitter (@FindLawConsumer).
Related Resources:
- Drunk Women Fighting Blamed for Sunwing Plane's Fighter Jet Escort (ABC News)
- 5 Ways You Can Get Kicked Off a Plane (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- Ind. S. Ct: Drunk Passenger Can Still Be Charged (FindLaw's Decided)
- Drunk Gambler Sues Casino After Losing $500K (FindLaw's Legal Grounds)