It seems like many unruly passenger incidents happen on ultra-low fare carriers like Spirit and Frontier, although last month, it was an employee in trouble: Frontier Airlines pilot was handcuffed and arrested just before his plane pushed back at IAH.
Today, we’re learning about an incident that happened earlier this week on a Frontier flight from Orange County to San Francisco. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, a Northern California man “has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he assaulted flight attendants shortly after his flight from Orange County to San Francisco took off, causing the flight to divert to Ontario for the safety of passengers and crew.”
Thirty year-old Charles Angel Salva of Fremont was charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants. “According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Salva was on a Frontier Airlines flight bound from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana destined for San Francisco International Airport on September 9. Shortly after takeoff, while the airplane was climbing and under 10,000 feet, flight attendants saw that the oxygen masks in one row of the middle of the aircraft were out of the overhead compartment. Flight attendants investigated and discovered that Salva had his hand in the overhead compartment.”
It appears that Salva was having a panic attack as a passenger told law enforcement that he appeared claustrophobic and seemed like he wanted to get off the plane. Salva was trying to pull down the oxygen mask but got his hand stuck there.
The news release states that “Salva allegedly began yelling obscenities at flight attendants and said, “we are all going to hell,” and “this airplane is going down!” Salva then grabbed at fellow passengers and ran towards the rear of the airplane when flight attendants tried to restrain him. Salva allegedly then attempted to choke a flight attendant, leaving two small marks on the victim’s neck.”
He “then pushed another flight attendant and said he was going to kill everybody, the affidavit alleges. Passengers helped restrain Salva, who broke out of flex cuffs and had to be restrained by a seatbelt. During the incident, Salva kicked one flight attendant approximately six times in the leg, causing apparent bruising and swelling, which required medical attention.”
I feel for those that who anxiety and have panic attacks as I experienced them when I was a kid, due to being over medicated by my asthma doctor but you have to control your emotions. If you have anxiety, it might be best not to fly especially on such a short flight as the drive between Orange County and the San Francisco Bay Area is around seven hours (I did that drive last month).
I hope Salva gets the help he needs like I did. It took almost three years of going to a homeopathic doctor who figured out it was the medication that was giving me the anxiety.
Frontier Airlines shoulders no blame in this incident but since I have you, if you are flying Frontier, don’t buy a ticket unless you know the airline’s dirty little trick for getting more money out of you.
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