Pilot Tackles Allegedly Drunken Passenger
“You don’t put your hands on my flight attendant," the captain yelled.
— -- An American Airlines pilot did more than fly the plane when an allegedly drunken passenger became belligerent, as captured on video.
Flight 5039 had just landed in Charlotte, North Carolina, the morning of July 21, when passenger Michael Kerr, 25, wanted to get off the plane, according to an FBI affidavit. Kerr, who had been served three whiskey drinks during the hour-long flight from Lexington, Kentucky, rose from his seat and approached an exit, the document alleges.
When flight attendants told him to sit down, he repeatedly refused, allegedly threatening to break one flight attendant’s jaw, according to the affidavit.
That’s when the captain took notice, as seen on the video apparently shot by another passenger.
Kerr continued to refuse crew orders to sit down. Then he appears to try to force his way to the exit, appearing to shove a flight attendant to the ground in the process.
The pilot then physically restrains Kerr, with the help of his co-pilot, according to the affidavit, which names neither of the pilots.
“You don’t put your hands on my flight attendant,” the pilot can be heard yelling in the video.
Afterwards, the pilot and co-pilot held Kerr as crew members tied him up with seat belts and held him down until police arrived, according to the affidavit. Kerr did not give in, and appears to kick and try to spit at the crew, as also alleged in the affidavit.
When police arrived to carry him off the plane, officers had to hold him down and call for backup before they were physically able to take him to jail, according to the affidavit.
Kerr was charged in federal court with three misdemeanors: assault on a female, communicating threats and being intoxicated and disruptive, court records show. He was released Monday on a $25,000 bond.
American Airlines officials would only say they had a disruptive passenger on their flight and contacted law enforcement. One of the flight attendants complained of an injury to her upper left arm, according to the FBI affidavit.
Kerr’s lawyer has not responded to ABC News’ repeated requests for comment, and it’s unclear whether he has entered a plea.
ABC News’ Jeffrey Cook contributed to this story.
