'This airplane is going down!' Passenger physically attacks flight crew after Disney trip with 3-year-old daughter, DOJ says



A California man went on a violent rampage during a recent Frontier Airlines flight, according to the Department of Justice. After spending the weekend in Disneyland with his daughter, the man allegedly attacked the flight crew and screamed: "This airplane is going down!"

Charles Angel Salva of Fremont has been charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants. He appeared Thursday in federal court.

According to court documents, Salva told police he assaulted the flight attendants because he didn't want anyone to know he was a pedophile and that he had been hearing triggering voices.

Salva was on Frontier Airlines flight 3581, which departed Monday from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana and was scheduled to land at the San Francisco International Airport.

Shortly after takeoff — while the airplane was increasing altitude and under 10,000 feet — the flight crew noticed oxygen masks in one row at the middle of the aircraft were out of the overhead compartment. Flight attendants discovered Salva had his hand stuck in the overhead compartment.

A passenger allegedly told investigators that Salva appeared claustrophobic, and it seemed as though he desperately wanted to exit the airplane.

Salva allegedly began yelling obscenities at the flight crew.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, Salva screamed, “We are all going to hell!” and, “This airplane is going down!”

Salva reportedly ran toward the rear of the plane as flight attendants attempted to restrain him.

Salva purportedly attempted to choke a flight attendant, leaving two small marks on the victim’s neck. The Daily Mail reported that while he was allegedly choking the airline employee, Salva said, "I’m going to choke this b****."

The unruly passenger then pushed another member of the flight staff "with force" and said he was going to kill everybody, according to the affidavit.

Passengers helped restrain Salva. He allegedly broke out of flex cuffs and had to be restrained with a seatbelt.

The DOJ said Salva kicked a flight attendant roughly six times in the leg, which caused bruising and swelling that required medical attention.

The flight had to be diverted to the Ontario International Airport because of the alleged outburst.

Once the plane touched down, Salva was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.

A passenger told investigators they were flying back to San Francisco with Salva and his 3-year-old daughter after spending the weekend at Disneyland, Fox News noted, adding that court documents state Salva on Sunday left his daughter with the unnamed passenger and their family and then disappeared. Fox News added that the unnamed passenger said the Anaheim Police Department called saying Salva had been found covered in sewage at a liquor store.

The news outlet added that Salva reportedly told investigators, "I’m a child molester," and that he had molested his 3-year-old daughter multiple times before losing his custody rights. He allegedly told police that he believed everyone was trying to get him to admit his crimes, so he tried to pull the emergency flight button in an attempt to cause the airplane to crash. According to court documents, Salva told police he assaulted the flight attendants because he didn't want anyone to know he was a pedophile and that he had been hearing triggering voices. Salva also reportedly admitted that he consumed ecstasy before boarding the plane.

Frontier Airlines said in a statement, "We extend our utmost appreciation to the flight crew for their professionalism and to the other passengers who assisted during the incident, as well as local and federal law enforcement, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, for their efforts to ensure justice."

The FBI and the Ontario Police Department launched investigations.

If convicted, Salva would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

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Three women face federal charges in connection with brutal beating of airline security officers



Three women are facing a variety of federal charges in connection with a brutal attack on an airline security worker, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The incident took place at New York City's JFK Airport in September.

What are the details?

Three women were arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn on Thursday in connection with the attack and released on a $25,000 bond.

The Hill reported that the women facing federal charges are 21-year-old Jordan Nixon, 21-year-old Janessa Torres, and 44-year-old Johara Zavala.

In court documents, prosecutors said that the female trio was attempting to board a flight bound to San Juan, Puerto Rico, when an agent interrupted them and directed them to properly wear their masks.

The women, according to documents, ordered at least nine alcoholic beverages from the airport lounge in the hours leading up to their departure and became rowdy.

As the three suspects approached their gate, flight crew — including a Delta security officer and gate agent — determined that they were too disorderly to board the plane and would be offered a later flight.

"A member of the Flight crew and the Captain exited the airplane and observed the three defendants; they determined that all three defendants should be denied boarding because they were acting belligerent, one of the defendants was refusing to wear her mask properly, and Zavala was visibly disoriented and possibly intoxicated,” prosecutors alleged.

The women reportedly became irate when they learned that they would not be on their originally scheduled flight, and one of them purportedly lunged at the security officer and repeatedly struck him in the head with his own radio.

A second woman was said to have punched the gate agent in the face when the agent attempted to intervene, and the third woman reportedly stomped on the security officer's face after he fell to the floor from being struck.

All three were said to kick and hit the security agent as he lay on the floor.

Flight crew were eventually able to pull the victims away from the women and into a secure area. They were transported to a local hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the vicious attack.

'Extreme and aggressive behavior' at airports, on flights is 'out of control'

In a statement, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said that the "extreme and aggressive behavior in connection with our air travel is out of control."

Attorney Peter Guadagnino, Nixon's lawyer, said that his client is innocent.

“My client maintains her innocence and she denies the allegations as delineated in the government's indictment. She pled not guilty yesterday before Judge Scanlon and she maintains her innocence throughout the process and we are waiting to see what discovery comes our way and what if anything is recorded with respect to the incident,” Guadagnino told The Hill in a statement on the arrest. "My client was charged in Queens state court regarding this incident and the case was dismissed by the prosecution."

Both Zavala and Torres have also pleaded not guilty to their charges, the Washington Post reported.

CBS News reported that FBI Assistant Director-in-charge Michael J. Driscoll announced that the agency is "aggressively addressing this emerging threat and [taking] all cases seriously."

"Anyone who thinks they can get away with this type of unruly behavior should be reminded that their actions are criminal and can result in time behind bars as a result of federal criminal charges," he added.