JetBlue passenger pleads guilty after causing mid-flight diversion

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JetBlue passenger pleads guilty after causing mid-flight diversion

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Simple Flying | Simple Flying

By Sky Industry News

Dec 7, 2024

An incident involving an unruly passenger on a JetBlue flight has led to a guilty plea, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. James Tyqwon Ford, who was on JetBlue flight B6 2404 from San Juan to New York JFK on May 13, 2023, exhibited disruptive behavior after allegedly consuming alcohol onboard.

The crew detected a strong odor of alcohol from Ford before beverage services began and suspected he was drinking his own alcohol. Despite announcements prohibiting personal alcohol consumption, Ford continued to disrupt passengers and used profanity when approached by flight attendants. A crew member warned him that police would be involved upon landing if he did not comply with instructions. USA Today reported that Ford responded defiantly, stating "the police would have to catch him first."

Ford threatened physical violence against a flight attendant in the galley, claiming he would punch her and shoot her. Witnesses among the passengers expressed concern for their safety due to his actions. He also claimed to have brought a firearm onto the aircraft and threatened to "tear the plane apart." A nearly empty liquor bottle was found at his seat.

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Traveling with Ford was his wife, who attempted to remove a bottle of Hennessy from him, resulting in a physical altercation between them. Other passengers intervened to assist her.

Due to escalating concerns over safety, the flight diverted to Richmond International Airport in Virginia where police removed Ford from the aircraft. To ensure crew safety following threats made by Ford about following them post-flight, new hotel accommodations were arranged.

Ford later told police he was drunk and could not remember his actions during the flight. He faces up to 20 years in prison for interfering with a flight crew and has agreed to pay JetBlue $17,324.71 in restitution.

According to a statement from the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia: “Ford’s disruptive behavior, threats, and actions towards his wife forced the flight to divert from its intended destination of New York, landing instead in Richmond."

In 2024 alone there have been reports of 1,921 unruly passengers compared to 2,075 in 2023. Flight diversions are costly due to additional fuel costs, re-accommodating passengers and crew on other flights, meal vouchers, maintenance fees for aircrafts as well as airport landing fees.