Passenger Causes Flight To Make Emergency Landing In Denver
DENVER (CBS4)- A man is accused of acting out on a flight which forced the crew to make an unexpected landing in Denver.
Marcus Covington was aboard a Jet Blue flight from New York to Los Angeles on Sunday. Police said he caused such a scene on the plane that the crew had to land the plane before it reached its destination. They decided to put the plane down at Denver International Airport.
Cell phone video shows Covington being led away in handcuffs. He allegedly groped a pregnant woman who was a passenger on the flight. He also allegedly threatened a flight attendant during a drunken tirade.
"My experience is that the airlines have always been intolerant of drunken gropers on flights," said attorney David Lane with Kilmer, Lane & Newman LLP.
Covington is facing federal charges of interfering with a flight crew. Attorneys claim that since 9-11, unruly behavior on an airplane is no longer tolerated.
"Flight crews have very little tolerance for anybody not snapping to attention," said Lane.
Since the terrorist attacks, the Transportation and Security Administration has documented hundreds of unruly passenger incidents each year.
In 2006, 1,417 incidents were reported; in 2011, 1,218 incidents were reported. So far in 2012, there have been 385.
Covington faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
According to Lane, over the years the punishment for disruptive passengers has varied greatly from five to 10 years, to community service.
"The defense will say, 'Look, he was under severe stress, he drank too much, he's never done this before, apologies, apologies, apologies,'" said Lane.
Lane said the alleged groping could add a sexual assault charge if pursued by authorities.
He believes airline passengers today live by a new set of rules,"When you fly the friendly skies sometimes the passengers are not as friendly as they should be or in this case maybe a little too friendly.
Covington is scheduled to be back in court on Friday.
