SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Las Vegas man who berated a flight crew and fellow passengers on a plane Monday has been cited for public intoxication and disorderly conduct.
He growled like a dog while taking his mask on and off his face, gave the middle finger and swore at flight attendants, later yelling “God bless America” and screaming “Joe Biden!” according to video taken by fellow passenger Dennis Busch.
It happened on a flight from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. Busch also wrote on Facebook that the man verbally targeted an Asian woman, saying she and her companion “didn’t belong here.”
The 61-year-old man was arrested at the gate where he was checked out at a hospital and cited, authorities said. No attorney was immediately listed in court records.
American Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement. The company also thanked the crew for their professionalism and customers for their understanding.
Rowdy airline passengers had racked up a record $1 million in potential fines this year, a toll of the tumult in the sky. Airlines had reported about 3,900 incidents of unruly passengers as of mid-August. Three-fourths involve refusal to wear a mask and alcohol was a common factor, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
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