Passengers tackle man charging cockpit on Honolulu flight

http://khon.com/khon/displayStory.cfm?storyID=9606 ^ | December 9, 2005 10:00 PM | Gina Mangieri

[WatchingInAmazement]

A suspect is in federal custody after passengers say he threatened an infant and tried to charge the cockpit of an airplane en route to Honolulu. No air marshal was aboard, but seven passengers tackled and subdued him.

Passengers say the man's strange behavior started just a couple hours after Northwest Flight 91 took off from Los Angeles.

"He came up to first class several times, and at one point he really startled me... He came up to my left shoulder, and he got right in my face and he said something in Spanish -- he said something about medicine, like 'I need medicine,'" said passenger Linda Deckard from California.

She says the man even gestured threats toward a baby with a cell phone cord, and couldn't sit still. But thanks to one father's planning, a group of passengers are heroes to nearly 200 people on the flight.

"We got the word around first class that if he makes a move for the cockpit door, he's going down," said passenger Mike Deckard. "And that's just what happened. He made a move for the cockpit door and we were on top of him."

He and six others bound the suspect's hands and feet with a belt and cords from an on-board restraint pack.

"I think he's a hero," says Michael Deckard, age 13, about his dad. "I think he did a good job. Obviously he's watching a little bit of football with that tackle. Go dad!"

"If anybody's wants to try something, remember - there are 200 other people on the aircraft who are gonna stop you," Mike Deckard said.

The suspect is a 37-year-old Mexican national. He bit one man who helped tackle him -- a Honolulu Marathon runner who had to get a tetanus shot when they landed.

Passengers were questioned for a couple of hours after landing. The suspect is being held at the federal detention center.

[fatima]

Hehehe.

[fatima]

I don't believe this story.

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

They don't say whether he was legal or illegal, so I'm assuming he's illegal.

A "Mexican national" on a flight that originated in LA?

The scumbag is an illegal alien. They should have decompressed the aircraft and just tossed him out a door, and agree among all involved "nutin happened".

[voiceinthewind]

The guy had a criminal record with 2 DUI's. Apparently he was able to walk around for two hours while the flight crew decided not to restrain him.

[Revolting cat!]

Dude, with these trigger happy previously unemployables now posing as Federal Marshalls on air flights, one could get himself killed trying to go pee pee when the unemployables think for whatever reason that no one under their careful watch should be going pee pee.

[freema]

"If anybody's wants to try something, remember - there are 200 other people on the aircraft who are gonna stop you," Mike Deckard said."

Effin eh! I'm with you, Mike!

[freema]

"She says the man even gestured threats toward a baby with a cell phone cord,"

Don't babies usually have umbilical cords?

[freema]

What timing! Incredible that this comes on the heels of the Miami 'incident'. This takes any and all speculation on that 'incident' straight to Disneyworld.

Passengers to Air Marshalls: "Relax, we've got your back."

[dannyboy72]

Mexican national does not mean he was an illegal. Despite what some probably wish was true, foreign nationals are allowed to fly on U.S. airlines. Of course certain people think that anyone born is Mexico is an illegal alien even if they are now U.S. citizens, have proper visitation papers, or are legal residents.

While I do agree that many times we jump to the illegal alien status, but unfortunately its a symptom of the disease. The Mexicans who come into this country legally are now being lumped into the group of illegals and it's no one's fault except the illegals. The only way to stop the stereotyping is first to have the media report accurately. If someone is in the country illegally AND commits a crime, there should be outrage at both the crime AND the illegal status. And two, the legal immigrants need to police themselves. Most likely the illegals are living amongst the legal immigrants in order to blend in and as a societal connection. They need to turn these people in or send them home and make them come in the right way.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Recently lost your mind? Or have you been reality challenged for some time now?

[freema]

No, it's not safe to say Kerry wouldn't have been a part. He'd have been behind the scenes, drawing up a plan, as a leader should, and writing the legend in his own mind.

[Lunatic Fringe]

This is why a 9/11-style attack will never happen again.

[jaguaretype]

Why is this thing not in the hospital?

Why is nothing broken?

I fly alot and I swear I will destroy anybody who does this on any flight I'm on.

They will definitely need "meds" then.

[p23185]

When I board planes, I look around and do a little "reality profiling" checking out who may be friend or foe.....

Man, taking a lot of risk! When ACLU hears about your unauthorized "racial profiling" activity you are probably going to be denied boarding in the future. Your name and picture will be entered in every aviation database worldwide!!

[Dichroic]

The baby's 30-year-old father, who would only give his first name of Jean-Francois, said the couple and their sleeping girl were seated in Row 16 against the cabin's bulkhead when the man moved from the back of the airplane and sat down in a seat on the other side of the aisle, one row in front of them. "He was behaving very strangely," Jean-Francois said. "Stand up. Sit down. He was not listening to the orders of the crew. "He looked mentally affected. His mind was not all there. ... He had a (cell phone) cord in his hand. We started to be afraid of that because it could be a weapon. ... He said to the flight attendant that he wanted to kill the baby." For the next two hours, the man kept staring at the baby. The parents said the tension in the cabin lasted for the rest of the trip across the ocean. Flight attendants several times asked the man to move toward the back of the plane, but he refused, the parents said. At one point, Sheila, who was sitting in the aisle with the baby in her arms, switched seats with her husband. >>>>>>>>>>>>> So for two hours the Stewardesses let an unruly passenger with a possible B-O-M-B or Weapon do whatever he pleased and not follow instructions ?

Note to self, skip flying Northwest.

[Windsong]

First thing I always do is count the number of Middle Eastern looking chaps before flight. If its 5 or more, I dont fly. Period.

[DC native]

Oh dear.....are those heads real, or have they been Photoshopped?

[starbase]

BTTT

[HiTech RedNeck]

he bit? test him for rabies.

[starbase]

No more passivity in the passenger section!!

No kidding! "Paging Dr. Kicka$$, Dr. Kicka$$ to the front of the plane please"