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Denied e-cigarette, unruly flier pelts attendant with peanuts
July 13, 2011
By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY
A Southwest Airlines passenger was arrested Monday night on charges that he
hurled bags of peanuts and pretzels at a flight attendant. The man
apparently was upset the attendant refused to allow him to use an
"electronic cigarette" on the flight.
Citing a complaint filed in federal court on Tuesday, The Salt Lake Tribune
reports 42-year-old Pogos Paul Sefilian, 42, of Sandy, Utah, became
"combative" over the issue while on Southwest Flight 188 from Los Angeles to
Salt Lake City.
ARCHIVES: Federal regulators to formally ban e-cigarette use on planes (Feb.
11, 2011)
The incident appeared to begin when Sefilian started using his "e-cigarette"
after boarding the plane. The attendant asked him to put it away and
informed him it could not be used on the plane. That apparently did not sit
well with Sefilian.
The Tribune says Sefilian "argued with the flight attendant, but stowed the
device, according to the complaint. But after takeoff, he pulled it out and
became enraged when the attendant again asked him to put it away, the
complaint states."
The Associated Press cites the complaint as saying: "Later in the flight,
(Sefilian) began to throw peanuts and pretzels at the flight attendant." He
also target the cockpit door with his snack barrage, according to the
Tribune.
The complaint alleges Sefilian committed a final act of unruliness by
jumping out of his seat and opening overhead storage bins as the flight
began to approach Salt Lake City .
The FBI was waiting for Sefilian when the plane landed in Utah. He was
arrested and charged with interfering with a flight crew. He was being held
in a Utah jail Wednesday pending a detention hearing on Thursday, according
to AP.
July 13, 2011
By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY
A Southwest Airlines passenger was arrested Monday night on charges that he
hurled bags of peanuts and pretzels at a flight attendant. The man
apparently was upset the attendant refused to allow him to use an
"electronic cigarette" on the flight.
Citing a complaint filed in federal court on Tuesday, The Salt Lake Tribune
reports 42-year-old Pogos Paul Sefilian, 42, of Sandy, Utah, became
"combative" over the issue while on Southwest Flight 188 from Los Angeles to
Salt Lake City.
ARCHIVES: Federal regulators to formally ban e-cigarette use on planes (Feb.
11, 2011)
The incident appeared to begin when Sefilian started using his "e-cigarette"
after boarding the plane. The attendant asked him to put it away and
informed him it could not be used on the plane. That apparently did not sit
well with Sefilian.
The Tribune says Sefilian "argued with the flight attendant, but stowed the
device, according to the complaint. But after takeoff, he pulled it out and
became enraged when the attendant again asked him to put it away, the
complaint states."
The Associated Press cites the complaint as saying: "Later in the flight,
(Sefilian) began to throw peanuts and pretzels at the flight attendant." He
also target the cockpit door with his snack barrage, according to the
Tribune.
The complaint alleges Sefilian committed a final act of unruliness by
jumping out of his seat and opening overhead storage bins as the flight
began to approach Salt Lake City .
The FBI was waiting for Sefilian when the plane landed in Utah. He was
arrested and charged with interfering with a flight crew. He was being held
in a Utah jail Wednesday pending a detention hearing on Thursday, according
to AP.