FBI: Passenger Threatened to Kill Flight Attendants, Blow Up Plane on BA Flight to Los Angeles
A British Airways 747 taking off from LAX
A Hawaiian man on a flight earlier this week from London to Los Angeles threatened to kill several flight attendants and blow up the plane, according to federal agents.
The FBI charged Kevin Lee Mosele, a 20-year-old man from Hawaii, with interfering with a flight crew on a British Airways flight. Mosele was said to have been intoxicated, and caused numerous disturbances and issued several threats before eventually being restrained while the plane was still in the air.
According to the complaint, which was reviewed by Frequent Business Traveler, Mosele knowingly “assaulted, intimidated, threatened, and harassed flight attendants of the aircraft…and interfered with the performance” of their duties.
British Airways Flight 283 was only two hours outside of London when a flight attendant called the captain to complain about an “abusive and disruptive” passenger, saying that he was “swearing and screaming,” according to the 11-page criminal complaint. The captain, Sean Dewburry, eventually left the cockpit and came into the cabin, where he personally told Mosele that he would divert the flight and leave him in Iceland if his behavior persisted.
Mosele, who snuck his own alcohol on board, continued his loud and unruly actions, allegedly mocking the captain and daring him to land the plane. He stated that he was going to set off a bomb and open a door of the aircraft, threatened to kill a flight attendant, and spit in the face of a male flight attendant. Court documents indicate that it eventually took four members of the flight crew to restrain and handcuff him.
In addition to sneaking his own alcohol on board, the 20-year-old Hawaiian had allegedly been drinking at London Heathrow prior to boarding the flight.
Mosele was arrested upon landing at LAX, and made an initial appearance in federal court on Tuesday. Federal authorities say he was freed on a $10,000 bond, although if convicted, could face up to 20 years in prison.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
