Thursday, March 25, 2021

Barberton police officer subdues passenger during incident on Cleveland flight diverted to Denver




CLEVELAND — A Barberton police officer who was on vacation, jumped into action when an unruly passenger allegedly tried to open the exit door during the flight. The incident happened Wednesday on a Spirit Airlines flight NK 185 from Cleveland to Los Angeles, which was diverted to Denver due to the disturbance.

Witnesses say 23-year-old Jahmir Ahmmad Williams exited a plane bathroom without a shirt on, and then tried to remove the pin and attempted to pull the armed lever on an exit door. He told federal authorities that he "wanted to kill everyone" on the aircraft," according to a federal criminal complaint. 

Officer Stephen Coburn spoke to 3News exclusively via Zoom on Sunday from his hotel room in Las Vegas to share details of the harrowing ordeal.

"It's our 6-month anniversary, and we were just trying to go on vacation," said Coburn, who was looking forward to a much-needed break with his girlfriend, Chelsea Boor, a local nurse and paramedic. But about three hours into the flight, he heard the first signs of trouble.

"I heard someone yell, 'He's trying to get out the door,' and I heard someone yell, 'Help!'" he recalled. 

That's when his police officer instincts kicked in and he ran to the back of the plane where the unruly passenger was fighting with flight attendants who were attempting to put zip-ties on his wrists.

NBC News obtained video of the struggle on board the plane, as Coburn and flight attendants wrestled with the man, who "tried to bite us, scratch us and head-butt us if he could. I got head-butted, like, three times. Once in the mouth, and twice in the head, and you can see [in the video] I kind of got the cobwebs knocked out. I got my bell rung."

Little did most passengers know that airplane doors are actually impossible to open at cruising altitude because the immense pressure against the door is more than any person can overcome.

"You don't stop to think about that in an emergency situation," Boor said. "You're thinking, oh my gosh, we have to stop this guy, or he's going to kill everyone on this plane."

Meanwhile, the plane felt like it was taking a nosedive, as it quickly descended to make the emergency landing in Denver. Once the plane landed at Denver International Airport, the other passengers exited and police and a medic boarded to speak with Williams, the complaint says.

Initially, Williams did not respond to the medic or officers and then "suddenly and violently" hit his head into the wall, according to the complaint. Due to his "agitation and combativeness," he was given a sedative.

Two flight attendants reported having sustained bruises and cuts during the altercation.

After about a four-hour delay in Denver, Coburn and Boor were back on their way to Los Angeles, and their final destination, Las Vegas, for that long-awaited break. 

He shrugged off any comments from people who are calling him a hero. To him, it's just another day on -- or off -- the job.

"The vast majority of police officers just instinctively have it in them to help," he said. "The training and experience just automatically kicks in."

 




A Spirit Airlines flight bound for California was diverted on Wednesday evening in Colorado after an "unruly" passenger attempted to open an emergency exit door while in mid-air.

Spirit Airlines flight 185 was traveling from Cleveland to Los Angeles when it was forced to make an emergency landing at Denver International Airport. 

Video from a passenger shows crew members and passengers restraining a shirtless man.

Video from another passenger shows the passenger being carried away in a stretcher through the airport. 

“It is important to note that opening a door inflight is impossible due to air pressure inside the cabin pinning the door against its frame with force stronger than any person could ever overcome,” Spirit Airlines said in a statement confirming the incident to OutThere Colorado. “Safety is our number one priority at Spirit Airlines. Law enforcement met the aircraft in Denver and took the passenger into custody."

No other details were immediately available regarding the identity of the passenger. 

The Federal Aviation Administration extended its zero-tolerance policy for unruly passengers last week after airlines reported more than 500 disruptive incidents since late December.

"The policy directs our safety inspectors and attorneys to take strong enforcement action against any passenger who disrupts or threatens the safety of a flight, with penalties ranging from fines to jail time," a press release from the Federal Aviation Administration reads.

Spirit Airlines went on to thank crew members and guests who assisted in handling the situation quickly. 



A Spirit Airlines flight was diverted to Denver on Wednesday after a passenger appeared to try to open an emergency exit door, officials said.

The passenger, who was not identified, was on Flight 185 from Cleveland to Los Angeles, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

An agency spokesperson described the passenger as "unruly" and said the plane landed without incident.

After arriving in Denver, law enforcement officials took the passenger into custody, Spirit said in a statement.

"It is important to note that opening a door inflight is impossible due to air pressure inside the cabin pinning the door against its frame with force stronger than any person could ever overcome," the company said in the statement.

No other details were immediately available.

Video showed a person being held down by multiple passengers and restrained with zip ties on the flight.

Another video appeared to show the same passenger being wheeled out on a gurney by paramedics in Denver. A person wearing a Transportation Security Administration jacket can also be seen in the footage.

NBC News does not know what occurred before the events shown in the videos.


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation says a 23-year-old man who assaulted and intimidated a Spirit Airlines flight attendant wanted to kill everyone on the plane.

According to an affidavit, Flight 185, which left Cleveland around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, was diverted in Denver after an incident with a passenger. The plane was traveling to Los Angeles.

While enroute, a man reportedly attempted to open the rear exit door of the aircraft. A flight attendant tried to pull him away from the door, but he resisted.

Officials say the man then pulled the pin and tried to pull the armed lever on the door.

One flight attendant told the FBI that five people, some of whom were airline passengers, were ultimately needed to pull the suspect away from the door.

The suspect’s hands and feet were then restrained. He was reportedly moved to the back row of the aircraft before the plane landed at Denver International Airport, where he was turned over to Denver police.

No flight attendants or passengers were hurt during the incident.

According to the FBI, during an interview with investigators, the suspect said: “he wanted to kill everyone, including himself, on the aircraft” and that he wanted the interviewing agents to take him to jail. Officials say he also told the interviewing agents that he wanted to kill them and advised he would kill people if he was let out of jail.

The FBI says that based on preliminary investigation, probable cause exists to believe the suspect violated Title 49, United States Code, Section 46504 – Interference with Flight Crew Members and Attendants.

If convicted, the suspect could face 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine or both.

Wyoming Senate Pass Air Ambulance Bill That Could Be Doomed By Federal Law



CASPER, Wyoming — The Wyoming Senate passed House Bill 07 on a third reading vote of 22-7 on Thursday but if the legislation were to become law in its current form, it may be doomed by federal law that limits state’s ability to regulate air ambulance services.

The United States Public Interest Research Group reported on Wednesday that: “This month, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a 2017 North Dakota law  that had banned ‘air ambulance memberships,’ bringing an end to a years-long fight between air ambulance companies and the state.”

With the cost of medical transport via air ambulance “often ranging” from $25,000-$75,000 the legislature passed House Bill 194 in 2019. That legislation included provisions seeking to allow Medicaid to cover air ambulance services (a provision which was rejected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)

More pertinent to the Senate’s debate on Thursday was a provision of House Bill 194 which classified air ambulance membership subscription plans as disability insurance. That classification required air ambulance service providers to register with the Wyoming Department of Insurance in order to operate in the state, as required of insurance providers under Wyoming Statue 26-3-101.

Sen. Cale Case (Fremont County) said that before that legislation took effect, there were more companies selling air ambulance service memberships which he said were “very important to folks in central Wyoming.”

Case said that after the law took effect which required air ambulance service providers to register as insurance carriers, only one company did so and the others stopped selling memberships in Wyoming.

After that happened, he was contacted by a number of constituents who were worried about losing their memberships. Case said that while there has been some concern about the concept of air ambulance memberships being a ruse to get around being regulated as an insurance provider, the constituents who contacted were well aware of what they were purchasing from the air ambulance service companies.

“The Town of Dubois, a benefactor, bought it for the entire town,” Case said.

He said that senators from larger communities might not understand how important the service the air ambulance companies used to provide was to people in the Wind River and Bighorn Basins.

“Everybody that gets a toenail fracture has to be flown out,” Case said. “They are afraid.”

House Bill 07 in its initial version aimed to change the rules again so that air ambulance membership organizations would not be required to register as insurance providers. But the bill has seen multiple amendments in both the House and Senate.

A Senate standing committee amendment which would allow the Wyoming Insurance Commission to oversee air ambulance service providers and require that they show they are not at risk of financial insolvency.

While such a provision aims to protect consumers, some senators who support the concept nevertheless argued against it because it could potentially lead to the legislation being thrown out under court challenges.

While the Senate adopted that standing committee amendment on first reading, Case offered an amendment on third reading to reverse that amendment.

House Minority Floor Leader Chris Rothfuss said he wanted to support the consumer protections provided under the standing committee amendment and wants air ambulance service providers to be regulated, but said he thought the provisions should be removed so that the state wouldn’t put itself in a position where they would likely lose a challenge in the courts.

Rothfuss said that the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals opinion was frustrating to him in that it treats air ambulance companies which provide service via “memberships” as something different from providing insurance. He said he doesn’t buy the argument that membership organizations should be treated differently.

He said that the notion of membership “sounds an awful lot like an insurance policy that you somehow re-categorized as not being an insurance policy so you could not be regulated.”

But since the courts would likely decide against Wyoming’s rights to offer the consumer protections proposed under the amendment, he was in favor of removing those provisions from the bill.

Sen. Dave Kinskey (Sheridan, Johnson) argued against removing the consumer protections under the amendment. Like Rothfuss, he expressed skepticism toward the notion that “membership” is not just “insurance” under a different name.

“If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it is a duck,” he said.

Kinskey said that air ambulance membership organizations should be able to guarantee to customers that they can provide the service for which they are selling memberships.

Sen. James Anderson (Natrona) said that is not always the case.

“It isn’t a matter that the air ambulance won’t come and get you,” he said. “It is a matter that you’ve paid these dues into these organizations…..and when the time comes they are not there for some reason [financial or otherwise].”

Sen. Drew Perkins (Natrona) said that air ambulance services is required under federal law to provide service to people regardless of their ability to pay, but that they can still bill such people for their services.

He noted that the limits on the state’s ability to regulate air ambulance is due to the Airline Deregulation Act and air ambulance’s status as federally licensed air carriers.

Sen. Charles Scott (Natrona) said he thinks the bill with the standing committee intact could succeed against legal challenges. He said that the legislation would not be regulation of air ambulance services but would rather be limited to regulating the insurance aspect of such services.

He said he thinks this may be allowed due to the McCarran-Ferguson Act which aimed to ensure that insurance coverage was something states could regulate.

But Perkins said that court cases in regard to state regulation of air ambulance service have demonstrated that courts don’t think the McCarran-Ferguson Act gives states the ability to regulate air ambulance services.

“If somebody is smart they are going to sue and we are going to lose,” he said.

Perkins argued against passing the legislation at all since it could give a “false sense of security to citizens” that the state has figured out a solution to allowing air ambulance membership services to work under state regulation: “It won’t work.”

Sen. Tara Nethercott (Laramie County) also argued that the legislation itself is likely to be found unlawful. But she argued against removing the standing committee amendment that adds consumer protections because “they are the reason why the bill was brought forth.”

Nethercott said that while some air ambulance services act in good faith to customers, she thinks others have acted in ways that are not good for consumers.

“We need those protections to protect the citizens of Wyoming,” she said.

Case said that membership-based air ambulance service is different from insurance because if a company stops being able to provide the service, customers simply stop having to pay their membership fees. He said that is different from a situation in which an insurance company is unable to financially cover costs of something like health care or property damage.

“I’m afraid if we don’t pass it with this amendment, this is going to blow up and we’re not going to help those people that want to be able to buy those memberships,” he said.

Sen. Tim Salazar (Fremont) said he has received “almost hundreds of calls” from seniors and others who want the air ambulance memberships. He said that Case’s amendment should be adopted and the bill passed “for my seniors to once again be able to purchase that incredibly necessary purchase if they want.”

But the Senate defeated Case’s amendment, leaving the standing committee amendment which includes provisions for air ambulance service providers to show they are financially solvent intact.

Scott argued that the Senate should pass the bill despite the potential legal challenges as it includes a general severability clause so that if a challenge to one aspect of the bill were to be upheld in court, it wouldn’t mean that all other provisions of the bill would immediately be tossed.

He said that with the legislature having passed House Bill 194 in 2019, he thinks it is “clear we can do some things to regulate the memberships.” Scott said he thinks it is important that regulations on organizations selling memberships be in place: “Some of the ones that were being sold previously were being sold to people who could not use them which I think is a disgrace.”

“They misled a lot of people,” he said. “It is quite a scam.”

Nethercott was less optimistic the bill could withstand legal challenges.

“The issue really is that the federal law, the Airline Deregulation Act trumps or pre-empts any state law regulating air service,” she said.

“The law has interpreted air ambulance service companies to be air service providers…That’s how it is and it can’t be changed with this legislation.”

Salazar said that even if legislation is unable to succeed on the issue this session, he and others such as Case are committed to continuing “to fight on this issue.”

Case asked that the Senate keep the bill alive to give it a chance to see further amendments. Since the Senate adopted amendments to the bill which originated in the House, the House would need to concur with changes the Senate made or could further work the bill until the two chambers come to an agreement.

“We’ve got smart people,” he said. “Let’s not give up yet.”

“I know that i don’t want to go back home and say that I have absolutely nothing.”

Anderson agreed: “Let’s pass it and get some more alternatives for our citizens.”

Nethercott said she would work to try to come up with a workable solution, but that she thinks there are serious limitations to what can be done with the bill.

The Senate voted 22-7 to keep House Bill 07 alive on third reading. The vote was as follows:

Ayes: ANDERSON, BALDWIN, BITEMAN, BOUCHARD, CASE, COOPER, DOCKSTADER, FRENCH, FURPHY, GIERAU, HICKS, JAMES, KINSKEY, LANDEN, MCKEOWN, NETHERCOTT, PAPPAS, ROTHFUSS, SALAZAR, SCHULER, STEINMETZ, WASSERBURGER
Nays: BONER, DRISKILL, HUTCHINGS, KOLB, KOST, PERKINS, SCOTT

Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II, N8234D: Incident occurred March 24, 2021 at Beverly Regional Airport (KBVY) Essex County, Massachusetts

 

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Boston, Massachusetts

Aircraft landed and veered off runway into the grass.

Piper 34D LLC


Date: 24-MAR-21
Time: 20:00:00Z
Regis#: N8234D
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: PA28
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: INSTRUCTION
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: BEVERLY
State: MASSACHUSETTS


No injuries were reported after a plane operated by a student pilot skidded off the runway at Beverly Regional Airport Wednesday afternoon.

Shortly after 4 p.m. on March 24, a male student pilot was attempting to depart from Runway 16-34 and swerved off the runway and into the safety area.

According to airport manager Gloria Bouillon, no one was injured and the aircraft did not sustain any damage.

There were no passengers on board the aircraft at the time of the incident, which is not unusual since students are required to perform solo flights in order to obtain their pilot's licenses.

The airport temporarily suspended operations on the runway while emergency personnel responded to the scene.


Beverly Regional Airport temporarily suspended some of its operations Wednesday afternoon after a student pilot swerved off one of its runways, officials said.

The student pilot was trying to take off from runway 16 when he swerved and went into a safety area, according to a statement from Gloria Bouillon, manager of the airport.

No one was injured, and no damage was done to the aircraft. Nobody else was inside the plane when the student pilot swerved off the runway, the statement said.

The airport temporarily suspended operations on runway 16 for roughly half an hour while mutual aid from the Beverly Police and Fire Departments, airport personnel and the Federal Emergency Management Agency responded out of an abundance of caution, according to the statement.

“As a student pilot works to achieve their pilot’s license, it is a standard practice for the student to perform solo flights as they become more proficient in order to hone their flight skills,” Bouillon said in the statement.

Found FBA-2C3, N771EC: Incident occurred March 24, 2021 in Manchester, New Hampshire

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Portland, Maine

Aircraft struck a bird.


Date: 24-MAR-21
Time: 15:51:00Z
Regis#: N771EC
Aircraft Make: FOUND AIRCRAFT
Aircraft Model: FBA-2C3
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
Operation: 91
City: MANCHESTER
State: NEW HAMPSHIRE

Beech 300 Super King Air 350, N350KS: Incident occurred March 25, 2021 in Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Wichita, Kansas

Aircraft struck a coyote on landing. 

State of Kansas 

Kansas Highway Patrol Air Support Unit


Date: 25-MAR-21
Time: 01:12:00Z
Regis#: N350KS
Aircraft Make: BEECH
Aircraft Model: 300
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: TOPEKA
State: KANSAS

Piper PA-44 Seminole: Incident occurred March 24, 2021 at William R. Pogue Municipal Airport (KOWP), Sand Springs, Osage County, Oklahoma

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Aircraft landed gear up. 

Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology

Date: 24-MAR-21
Time: 21:05:00Z
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: PA44
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: INSTRUCTION
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: SAND SPRINGS
State: OKLAHOMA

Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP, N471ER: Incident occurred March 24, 2021 near Ormond Beach Municipal Airport (KOMN), Volusia County, Florida

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Orlando, Florida

Aircraft struck a bird leaving a dent in the left wing. 

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University


Date: 24-MAR-21
Time: 18:20:00Z
Regis#: N471ER
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 172
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: FAR 141 PILOT SCHOOL
Flight Phase: APPROACH (APR)
Operation: 91
Aircraft Operator: EMBRY RIDDLE
City: ORMOND BEACH
State: FLORIDA

Cessna 207A, N9177M: Accident occurred March 24, 2021 at Laredo International Airport (KLRD), Webb County, Texas




This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Antonio, Texas

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

Aircraft Guaranty Corporation Trustee


Location: Laredo, TX
Accident Number: CEN21LA166
Date & Time: March 24, 2021, 12:19 Local
Registration: N9177M
Aircraft: Cessna 207A
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N9177M
Model/Series: 207A
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site:
Condition of Light:
Observation Facility, Elevation: 
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site:
Temperature/Dew Point:
Lowest Cloud Condition: 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility:
Altimeter Setting: 
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point:
Destination:

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 27.544194,-99.461583 (est) 



LAREDO, Texas (KGNS) - It was a terrifying moment for several passengers who were on board a small aircraft after it made a rough landing.

The incident happened on Wednesday at a little afternoon at the Laredo International Airport.

The Airport Police Department called the Aircraft Rescue Firefighting unit who shortly after responded to the scene.

Fortunately, all six passengers were uninjured and refused medical treatment.

Beech B36TC Bonanza, N7206D: Incident occurred March 24, 2021 at Jacksonville Executive Airport (KCRG), Duval County, Florida

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Orlando, Florida

Aircraft gear collapsed on landing. 

Crazy Plane LLC


Date: 24-MAR-21
Time: 22:32:00Z
Regis#: N7206D
Aircraft Make: BEECH
Aircraft Model: 36
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
Operation: 91
City: JACKSONVILLE
State: FLORIDA

Piper PA-32-260 Cherokee Six, N26DC: Accident occurred March 24, 2021 at Burlington International Airport (KBTV), Chittenden County, Vermont

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Portland, Maine 
Location: Burlington, VT
Accident Number: ERA21LA211
Date & Time: March 24, 2021, 16:00 Local 
Registration: N26DC
Aircraft: Piper PA-32-260
Injuries: 4 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N26DC
Model/Series: PA-32-260 NO SERIES 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: BTV,334 ft msl 
Observation Time: 16:00 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: / ,
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility:
Altimeter Setting: 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: Burlington, VT
Destination: Springfield, VT (VSF)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 3 None 
Aircraft Fire: On-ground
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 4 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 44.471955,-73.153276 (est)


A civilian aircraft caught fire at the Burlington International Airport Wednesday night.

The 158th Fire Department of the Vermont Air National Guard says flames were on the side of the Piper Cherokee and spreading to the wing.

Crews responded after the aircraft control tower spotted the aircraft smoking on the runway. The pilot and passengers got out of the plane before emergency crews arrived. No injuries have been reported.

Gene Richards, aviation director at the airport, says the fire was a foot away from the fuel tanks before the fire department doused the flames. A cause of the fire was not identified.