Thought this would be interesting even to you non-aviation lovers. Most people know you can't say 'bomb' on an airplane, but calling your flight crew drunk may well end you up in jail.




Traveler's joke lands him in trouble
Passenger accused of inducing panic for comment on pilot's sobriety
Gina Mace

Special to the Beacon Journal

Authorities aren't laughing at a passenger's joke about a pilot at Akron-Canton Airport.

Thomas Smith, 55, of Levittown, Pa., is scheduled to appear Wednesday in Barberton Municipal Court on a charge of inducing panic after he allegedly made a comment that delayed a commuter plane's flight to Cincinnati for about four hours Friday.

Smith was among 37 passengers on an airliner flying for Delta-Comair that made a bumpy landing at the airport in Green.

Summit County Sheriff's Sgt. Leonard Fanelly said Smith got off the plane just before 11 a.m. and made a comment in front of the flight crew, ground crew, staff and passengers that ''that was a terrible landing. The pilot must be drunk.''

As a result of Smith's comment, Fanelly said, the flight to Cincinnati was delayed so the blood alcohol level of the flight crew could be tested. None of the crew members had alcohol in their systems, authorities said.

The pilot, Scott Kepling, who works for Chautauqua Airlines, told deputies the delay would cost the airline more than $5,000.

An airline spokesman could not be reached for comment.

Smith was detained at a baggage claim area, where he was charged with inducing panic, a fourth-degree felony. He told deputies he was joking when he made the statement, Fanelly said.

Smith appeared Saturday before Barberton Municipal Judge Michael Weigand. The judge ordered Smith to return with a court-appointed attorney Wednesday. He is free on bond.

If convicted, he could receive up to 18 months in prison.

Fanelly said people need to be cautious with what they say in airports and on planes. ''What he said may have been just a joke, but he didn't realize what went along with it,'' Fanelly said.

 

Wow, that pilot must know he sucks then and that was the only way he could get back at the guy. I hardly doubt a panic was started with the comment and this guys should be cleared. Hardly a felon.

 

yeah, felony of inducing a panic, because the landing SUCKED!!!

Charge the pilot with the same thing then, because if the landing was bad enough to make someone blurt out a nervious joke, then I bet there were a few people who were panicing...

Take that, crappy pilot

~Nate

 

That is completely rediculous. I would understand if the guy said it during flight and it caused a panic among the passengers, causing them to take over the airplane or something but he said it after the plane had landed. If he said it in front of the crew that puts him in the front of the plane near the cockpit, no where near any passengers other than the person in front of or behind him. They should let the guy go, and blame the pilots lack of landing skill rather than blame the passenger.

 

This type of stuff is getting totally rediculas, that could very well ruin the guys life being charged with a felony because some pilot doesn't know how to land a plane. I think i would be looking for more than a court appointed attorny I would be looking for one to counter sue the airline.

 

oh thats just the goverments way of gun control make every one a felon and no one will own guns.they'll give ya a felony here for bumpin into some one at a stop sign

 

Why would the people panic anyway...they were getting off the plane.

Edit...bassproguy beat me to it.

Tim

 

About time. I hate backseat drivers.

 

Justify that dude... He landed a plane so rough that passengers were joking about the pilots skill/intoxication leval. He screwed up badly, most people just stfu and grip the armrests... Someone said something about it, that's how bad it was. so yeah, how do you justify your conclusions?

~Nate

 

I think (hope) he was joking. No sane person can really see where that poor passenger did anything wrong. We are just WAY out of control with airline security in this country.

What I don't understand is that 99% of the people out there can see how utterly absurd this story is, but these things happen *every* day in this country - who are the people making these kinds of decisions?

 

Just my opinion, but how many here complaining about the rough landing have ever landed a plane? There are a lot of factors that can contribute to a rough landing.

I think it is a bit outrageous what they are doing to this guy.

 

That's a good point - landing a plane is HARD. Try doing it in a crosswind, too - it takes an enormous amount of skill.

 

If his comment actually did cost the airline $5,000 because of having to test the crew then I can understand why they'd press charges. Personally I would have just told him to fly his own plane next time.

 

What about the guy who got busted because he hollered "Hi" to his friend Jack on a crowded plane.

 

Thats good....


back ion 1997 or so, I was with our scout troop flying home from a hi adventure....as usual, got to the airport WAY late, so we carried on our backpacks..... a few members of the crew were very snotty... we ended up seatbelting the last couple of bags into an empty seat next to me.

One of the stewardess's came over and started yelling at me about it. THe guy next to me (not with our troop) looked at her and said" Lady, It doesnt matteer where those bags go, if this plane drops out of the sky, we will all die"

needless to say, She left us alone