US man accused in airliner disruption in court

Published Tuesday, January 12, 2010

By AP

An Oregon man who FBI agents say was angling for frequent flier miles has made his first court appearance on a charge of interfering with a commercial jetliner crew by filling out a comment card that talked about crashing into the ocean.

Federal authorities charged 56-year-old Joseph Hedlund Johnson of Salem after a Hawaiian Airlines jetliner turned back in mid-flight Wednesday to return to Portland accompanied by two F-15 military jets.

An FBI affidavit said the pilot said he was alarmed because Johnson wanted to be near his carryon luggage and filled out a comment card that wondered “what if the plane ripped apart in mid-flight”.

Johnson told an agent the card was intended as a joke and, because it was sealed, not to be read during the flight.

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The page was last updated on: 9 January 2016 18:03