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Subscribe to RSSA Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Kansas City was forced to divert to Amarillo, Texas, on Tuesday after a passenger was reportedly screaming obscenities in the cabin.
Ali Reza Shahsavari, 29, of Indialantic, Fla., was arrested and charged with interfering with a flight crew, said Patrick Rhodes, Amarillo's aviation director. He was booked into the Randall County Jail in Canyon, where he awaited an appearance before a magistrate.
Flight 3683 was en route from Los Angeles to Kansas City when Shahsavari reportedly began making a disturbance. The Transportation Security Administration told NBC News that man was screaming.
Rhodes told the Amarillo Globe-News that the flight crew asked for emergency clearance to land around 3:30 p.m. CDT. Despite earlier reports that the man was attempting to break into the cockpit, Rhodes said that the passenger "was being disruptive and unruly on the flight, but he was not specifically trying to break into the cockpit.”
Passenger Doug Oerding told the Amarillo Globe-News that the man started screaming obscenities at other passengers during the flight. “All of us guys were looking at him like are we going to have to do something,” Oerding said.
Southwest spokesperson Ashley Dillon told NBC News that the plane was carrying 136 passengers.
After a delay of just over an hour, the Southwest flight continued on to Kansas City.
The suspect's father, Mohammad Shahsavari, said that he understood his son was well, but he did not know what led to the incident.
"I don't know what to say," he told The Associated Press from his Indialantic, Fla., home.
The FBI said initial indications were that the incident did not appear to be terrorism related. The passenger's identity was not immediately released.
"The FBI continues to investigate, but initial indications are that there was no terrorist intent. This guy is a U.S. citizen," said FBI Special Agent Mark White in Dallas.
Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.
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Probably mentally ill.
It seems to be a new trend. A little over a week ago, a man was kicking seats of passengers and punched attendant in face. Flight had to redirect and land. Said he was drunk & his brother was dying. I think this is a new stragedy working up to something.
I think you might be right. It does seem strange.
Sure does, early reports were he tried to rush the cockpit but i guess it was just a fit he threw.
That's exactly what I was thinking. Notice the name: "Ali Reza Shahsauri." I doubt very seriously he is a Christian and supporter of the Tea Party, for example. But let's just keep having the TSA grope children, fondle old white grandmas in wheelchairs, and tell people to throw their bottled water away at security.
This is not the first incident like this, and the person a week or so ago who supposedly freaked out claimed to be drunk but was not. Something's up here, folks.
Sure, because all terrorist have semetic names. Can you say McVeigh, Army of God, Aryan networks, The Order, United Freedom Front...just to name a few. Not all terrorism in and against the US is by Muslims. sheesh, sheesh, sheesh
Hey, Glendaxxxxxxxx
Is a "stragedy" a combination of strategy and tragedy? Just wondering.......
God must love idiots. He's made so many of 'em.......
He was just pissed because he had to buy two seats for his camel......
Mona the flight attendant was overheard saying:
hahaha, that's great. They probably made him put his magic carpet in the checked luggage too.
YES YES!! Muahahahahahahah! I've redirected their flight, causing a delay, which will certainly please Allah!
Get a break dude. You know how many flights take place a day? You have two unruly passengers within a week, and you say it's a trend? Talk about paranoid.
Probably another freakin sleeper terrorist...
These people are the same f*ckin smiling neighbors, buddys, co-workers etc.
Given a chance, they will not hesitate to cause harm inside the US
Just a matter of time before the so called "US citizen " does something unspeakable....
The Governement needs to realize that being a US citizen does not make them lesser of terrorists....matter of fact those are the dangerous ones...keep an eye on these scumbags...lest we regret...
What does "He's a U.S. Citizen" have to do with anything! Timothy McVeigh ring a bell. I would like to think that Homeland Security or FBI are not that gullible.
"This guy was not a terrorist he was a U.S. citizen", and your point is?
U.S. citizens can be and are TERRORISTS (Uni-bomber, Oklahoma City bomber etc). Stop being so BLIND and living in DENIAL!
Maybe he saw the latest Rasmussen poll that showed Cain ahead of Obama!
Listen to you people! A conspiracy under every bush (no pun intended). A couple of moron passengers behave badly within two weeks of each other, so naturally this is a precursor to some Muslim or govt plot to take over the world. Read your own comments and see how paranoid you sound.
As long as the planes on the ground not moving, you can be an idiot and get your self kicked off the plane the many ways possible, and I will sit still.
However, once the planes are up, and then you decide you’re insane, or upset, feeling put upon, and there by proceed to loose it, I will proceed to pound the @!$%# out of you until you stop moving.
Sincerely,
Your flight buddy
This should be common knowledge, and provided on the ticket stub for all to read.
Ali Reza Shahsavari...Another example of multiculturalism at its best.
To LetMeExplain:
Thanks for the laugh! :-) And the common sense.
Nervous flier?
Peanut allergy.........
Southwest Air LIES!!! The person was unruly... the person was drunk... the person has an Arab name and MUST be Muslim and thus a terrorist. They have their security and air marshals on the ready to throw your butt off any time they like.
My son and I flew out of Providence, RI to San Antonio, TX on Southwest Airlines for my father in laws funeral. We were exhausted and distraught. On the return flight, they were short 2 seats. OUT OF THE BLUE... flight attentent said she heard me say my son was sick and not feeling well and screamed in my face saying, "you have no right bringing your sick son on a flight and jeopardizing crew and passengers!" I snapped back, "what are you talking about, my son isn't sick!" She asked the air marshall to confirm what she heard me say, "didn't this woman say her son was sick?" He shook his head in agreement and continued reading his newspaper.
When I sat in my seat and buckled up, I closed my eyes trying to relax and was thinking I would report her for being rude, Within minutes she was back in my face telling me security would be back momentarily to REMOVE ME AND MY SON SON from the plane!!
My son and I were both crying and hysterical. My son kept saying, "I'm not sick, why are you doing this, why are you doing this?" By now, the plane was completely full. Security came back to us and exposing their billyclubs and guns, they said, "mam, come with us NOW! Don't give us any trouble." And we were taken off the plane like two terrorists.
Yankees keep your mouth shut, this isn't America when on Southwest.
Muslims book on another airline.
Never drink alcohol on a Southwest flight.
Over weight people book on another airline.
If you have to fly Southwest, make sure you dress conservative.
Globalove, if this happened, did you write to Southwest? If you didn't like the answer from them, you should write to the Department of Transportation. Unlike other governmental agencies, they do take complaints regarding airlines seriously and, more importantly, the airlines take a complaint from DOT seriously. See:
Wonderful newsvine cut the DOT link out. Let's try again: airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/problems.htm
Globalove, just wanted to point out that a flight attendant would never ask a Federal Air Marshall for assistance in a boarding issue. How in the world could you know that the passenger reading a newspaper was an air marshall? I would imagine that there was more to this incident than you are sharing.
However, you should definitely write a letter to Southwest with all the details because rude behavior should never be accepted.
You know every day I read reports of crazy people on airplanes. For me it has caused flying to totally lose its appeal.
I'm with you. I'd rather drive two days than fly for one and am switching to Amtrak whenever feasible. From where I live it takes me 13 hours to drive to visit a friend. It takes me 12 hours to fly between the time it takes to get to the airport, the time in screening, the layovers etc. and I never check baggage anymore.
A 13 hour drive equates to about a 1-1.5 hour flight. First of all, there won't be layovers to a destination that is only 1 hour away. And you're telling me it takes 12 hours to get to the airport and go through screening?
I agree that the airport is frustrating, and I've also switched to Amtrak when possible recently, but there's no reason to blatantly lie to try to make your point. The simple fact is flying does save an enormous amount of time, but it's not always worth the headache anymore.
It takes me an hour and a half to get to the airport. I have to be there at two hours ahead of time. The first flight is about an hour and 15 minutes. The lay over is 3-4 hours and the last flight is almost two hours. Getting to my friends house including getting the rental car and depending on traffic can be 1.5 to 2 hours. In theory, a thirteen hour drive may equate to a short flight, but that is not how a lot of trips work. I'm not flying from JFK to DC direct. You can disagree without accusing someone of lying.
Living is Alaska, I wish we had the Amtrak option. It's either fly, or add another week to where ever you are going
I'd rather spend 13 hours on the road than 1.5 trapped in cramped cabin with some idiot causing problems the whole way - or all the rigamarole that comes with having to check in and find your luggage and park and the fees and the security screening, and, and, and...
Andy Rooney said after 9/11--"Now we're taking the train, which we should have been doing all along anyway."
So why don't we lose our obsession with being in a big hurry in every aspect of our lives and relax. We'd all be happier, and realize that we've become slaves to the financial greed of the airlines, business, government, Walmart, etc. Life is about much more than 'gimme, gimme, gimme.'
I priced out a trip on Amtrak from Portland OR to LA a couple months ago, and it was $1000. The plane flight was $300
That's funny, it's $157 right now.
Interesting...I just priced a round-trip on Amtrak from Tacoma WA to LA and it was $293.40. that's with a AAA discount and no rooms. Maybe prices have gone down.
Amtrak is indeed expensive. But if you have the time it is a terrific mode of travel.
I've been on trains that have had trouble with drunken, disruptive passengers. The train simply stops at the next podunk stop and ejects them. It's a hoot to watch them standing there in the middle of nowhere USA as the train leaves.
We should eject disruptive passengers from planes too. With each ticket should come the stipulation that bad or dangerous behavior will be terminated with a parachute and an open door. The medium "bads" get to wear the parachute on the way out. The really "bads" get to hold it.
I guess we do have to give them a parachute, LOL!
Does it have to be working? hehe
Hans-285771 - that is *genius*!!!! Love it! Maybe they'll need someone to give a little "push" to the reluctant parachutist at the end - I volunteer to do it for free (or maybe for a few packages of those bbq almonds). You know, I'm just fed up with all this crap, can you tell? Toss 'em overboard and let the rest of us get on with our lives.
"Life is about more than gimme gimme gimme."
What an asinine, ignorant thing to say. Oh, pardon me if my employer wouldn't be happy that a two-hour client meeting in Chicago took me out of work for three days because I had to take the train there and back. Or my four-year-old daughter would be happy to be without one of her parents for three days because I'm "taking the train" instead of taking a one-hour flight.
Larry Flynt was right...opinions ARE like as*holes. Everyone's got one.
"Life is about more than gimme gimme gimme."
What an asinine, ignorant thing to say. Oh, pardon me if my employer wouldn't be happy that a two-hour client meeting in Chicago took me out of work for three days because I had to take the train there and back. Or my four-year-old daughter would be happy to be without one of her parents for three days because I'm "taking the train" instead of taking a one-hour flight.
Larry Flynt was right...opinions ARE like as*holes. Everyone's got one.
@Hans:
Really bad passengers get a parachute pack filled with silverware. Or one w/ an anvil.
We just need to work out a good way to properly record it as it happens.
Probably practicing or taking a Test for future Terrorist BS.
agree
Almost the same thing happened a little over a week ago. Almost same thing and flight had to be redirected and land.
"Probably" huh? I really envy your your ability to read people's intentions magically via the Internet.
One never knows what one is up too.
Perhaps--but wherever you wind up, there you are.
I myself have never flown. I'm scared to but I wanna do it to know what it's like. With my luck I'll get on a flight like this or worse.
Thanks for that great story
Probably 99.99% of flights are uneventful. I've never been on one with a disruptive passenger (thank goodness for that!) and the worst I ever was on (one time in 25+ years) I was sitting next to a woman that had a bladder the size of an acorn and she got up to go to the restroom about 10 times in a four hour flight. She insisted that she had to have the window seat and I was on the aisle.
Odds are, any flight you might get on will be just fine.
Probably saw a gremlin on the wing!
A la the Twilight Zone movie?
You just can't take any chances any more that the person could do something to take the airplane down or take it over. If I were there, I would also be ready to go down fighting and take them out if need be to save my family or my country. 9/11 gave me that courage. That may sound stupid but it has.
With respect, that doesn't sound like courage. We have become afraid of each other. No one can take over a plane anymore, the cockpit doors are deadbolted. That was the single greatest security innovation since 9/11.
Given how many uneventful flights there are every day, your attitude is paranoia. You can't let a very small but vocal group who want to cause mayhem keep you a prisoner of fear.
Oh come on "University of Chicago Student" NO ONE can take down a plane? Just because the cockpit doors are deadbolted? What does that have to do with anything? If you're clever enough at hiding a bomb, the doors will have nothing to do with it. Or at hiding a gun. Please, use common sense. And remember that the Titanic couldn't be sunk... or so they said.
He certainly should be banned from flying...for at least two years!!
Immediate NO-FLY LIST, for life.
No hearing, no recourse, no compensation, no appeal. And the airline should sue him for the cost of the diversion. He probably would not pay, but they can have the lawyers attach any asset that is ever put in his name. Grrrrrr.
Suz, before 9-11, that would have sounded just all kinds of wrong. It still sounds, I don't know, maybe chest thumping bragging? It isn't, even if that is how it first strikes readers. We were shown the way by the bravest people I have ever heard of. I can only hope that I would react the same.
It's upsetting when you've been hankerin for a drink and your card gets rejected...it's not like you can burn one in the bathroom to calm down.
I wonder what upset him, or if he's just a nut? Who knows, maybe someone said something nasty and sent him off. His name is middle eastern sounding "Ali Reza Shahsauri", so maybe someone made a comment about his ethnicity, and he snapped. Too bad we never hear the whole story ever. Just a blurb about a guy screaming on a plane.
Maybe if there was more listening and tolerance, there would not be so much need for screaming and anger.
I work in two different Er's and I think people are all going nuts. Most can't deal with everyday stress happening in their life or they are crack heads
no it is more like the guy is a raving camel jockey lunatic "testing the waters". He has a middle eastern name, he probably looks middle eastern, probably has that arab accent. If it walks like a chicken, talks like a chicken, acts like a chicken......and I do not want to hear any crap about tolerance and profiling! They did it and thats a fact and I hope they round up all those towel heads and ship them all out.
A little over a week ago, a man of middle eastern connections started kicking passengers seats and then punched attendant. Said he was drunk and his brother was dying. Flight had to redirect and land.
Freedom4 everyone: So, when someone calls you a name or insults you, it's okay to scream and rant and rave until the pilot has to land the plane and eject you? When someone calls you a name or insults you, you direct the sort of look that behavior of that kind deserves, turn your head and ignore the jerk. You don't make everyone on the plane, including yourself, miserable by causing an unplanned layover and then cause yourself to be kicked off the plane.
OK 136 people on the plane. You think someone would have had the balls to take care of this situation. Rush him and put him to the floor. Trust me you put enough weight on someone and they will calm down. They snap right out of whatever state they are in. It's called air, they need it to breath. ;-)
it's also assault.
No it's not Fianchetto. It's a citizens arrest of an out of control person that is prohibiting the harm of others and an aircraft crew. It's an assault if you start punching him and whatnot. There have been several cases of passengers pinning someone down who are freaking out. One actually died a few years ago, but nobody was charged. Oh well. He should have taken the bus.
It might be more pleasant if he became quiet, but it is possible to kill someone who is having a medical issue (like a stroke or mental disease) or who is drugged out of their head. If he gets up and does threatening things, maybe flatten him. If he is screaming while sitting, maybe the diversion and ejection to law enforcement is the best action. (And immediate lifetime NO-FLY LIST.)
10tacle.
Does that mean we have the right to track down some of the people on this board and citizen arrest them for idiocy? That is all this really was, just a guy being a jackass.
People read too much into things; its how conspiracy theories get started.
I also love that people see a Middle Eastern name and automatically associate them with terrorists, one step closer to police state-ism where people look over their shoulders, afraid of their own shadows.
If this guy's name was Bob Fisher it would be a non-story to you guys.
The men on this plane should have banded together and beat the @!$%#ake mushrooms out of this guy. Once the word gets out that anyone who does anything other than sit quietly and eat their peanuts will be summarily beaten, maybe these disturbances will stop.
I'll take my chances on the assault charges.
I call it scene stabilization. Situation under control, problem sovled.
We need more "Patroits" in this Country
Cappy
LOL too funny. Agree.
Looks like a security test run , as Vegaskingpin suggested. I wonder do the TSA pay attention to things like this or is it just easier to have grandma take her shoes off!
"Obscenities" has a "c" in it.
So this dude got left in Amarillo. That right there is some serious punishment.
Maybe even Amarillo is too nice for the drop-offs. If this IS a new form of psychological terrorism, just set up landing fields across the nation to receive the diverted flights. The only facility is a rolling ladder to deplane - no terminal, no transportation, no phone, no food-water-shelter. Jam any cell phone signals. And make it at least 10 miles from the nearest cattle trough. When the troublemaker is escorted off the plane, just point to the road and give directions to the nearest town.
"Turn left at the dirt road and walk 19 miles."
Amarillo is a nice town. Good try Troll.
Just dump em anywhere over Texas.
Let Perry paint their head like a rock.
Funny to see this story, only because i just got home from flying on 4 different flights in 5 days time. We had a woman screaming like mad on our 3rd flight.... she was mad because she made it on board within seconds and found out that they were'nt going to wait for her otherwise (she was getting coffee)... she went totally nuts and they removed her from the flight. I would have loved to see her in the terminal after that!!! she was all about ego, what a stupid woman, nobody felt bad!
Was she a Jewish American Princess or a Tiger mom?Did she yell 'Do you know who I am... I can get you fired....my hubby/daddy owns the world'.
realist11111........... she was definatley a J A P !!!!!! a stupid one too.
And, Pentimento, she didn't make the evening news. Could it be because, unlike Mr. Ali Reza Shahsauri, she didn't have a Muslim name?
John W. Sawyer III
Conservative Candidate for President
Ft. Myers, Fl. 33912
Shoot the prick!
Noticing a loss of civility all across our society?
We're getting a great example out of D.C.
Article didn't say what type of plane..could of been a DC 3 or a DC 10..ya never know with so many types these days.
Mike... If your refering to the Southwest flight, they only fly Boeing 737's.
Robert, Mike was making a joke, a little play on words on D.C. versus DC, the former aircraft manufacturer.
The new form of psychological terrorism. Disrupt holler threaten and make people sweat. I don't think this guy was mental. I think he knew exactly what he was doing. Taqiyya at its best.
We, as a society, have reached a new low if people get worried over some nobody throwing a fit.
It is easy to pass judgement on the people on that plane who were frightened but then you were not there. There were American men there who handled this man and stopped him from causing further problems. Yes people are afraid but not too afraid to take action. Maybe people have become a triggers hair away from overreacting but I would rather people err on the side of taking action than do nothing and wind up getting blown up. Macho is only worthwhile when courage is shown to stop someone hurting others. Otherwise it is just someone running their mouth.
Some nobody throwing a fit on the ground is one thing, in an airplane is another entirely. Even if the plane isn't endangered, he can easily hit someone, trip and hurt himself, lots of scenarios. An airplane is not the place for a temper tantrum, whatever the reason.
This guy was obviously listening to Bill O'Reilly while sitting on a tack in his seat. Then saw his wife sitting on the starboard wing taking a wizz and she suddenly got sucked into the engine.
LOL...to funny!
Maybe he saw the latest Rasmussen poll that showed Cain ahead of Obama!
It's time to cut off the booze and give flight crews Tasers and zip ties.
I don't know about the Tasers but airlines have been carrying zip ties for years.
Look at how he was trying to break into the cockpit! He should have been shot immediately!
Because its a brilliant idea to shoot guns on an airplane, right?
Seeing who's paying attention. He did NOT try to break in the cockpit. The Wall Street media made that up then retracted it.
"Wall Street Media." Oh go back to your Fleabaggers stinking up Wall Street, Fresh...
Fresh Water, I started with an indignant comment then read your second post.
I was on a flight ready for take off when a man had some kind of episode on the plane. He made a break for the back door past a flight attendant and he was tackled by just about every grown man near him. I think we all understood that he wasn't a terrorist, but that he could do something harmful and dangerous unintentionally. The pilot turned around the plane as people held him down and then the police came on and escorted him off the plane (with a definite fight). It was scary (and we had to unload so they could check if he had any potentially dangerous luggage on the plane.) I think it's a tough situation, but certainly, people do not allow a whole lot "wiggle room" anymore. People don't hesitate to stop a dangerous situation. I feel bad for people because it was certainly scary.
okay, @Mama,
In flight at 30k feet, you CANNOT even open the dang doors to the plane. It is physically impossible, with cabin pressure, etc.
I do applaud the passengers, however, that held this man down until the plane made a safe landing for police to take him into custody.
But look at someone like myself -- were I of the violent type, which I am not - I was in ROTC in college; I am an expert rifle marksman; I am almost 6'5" tall and weigh 285; I have a black belt in hap ki do, and was a varsity wrestler and rugby player. Shoot, over the past two years I have been studying Krav Maga, and even went to Israel to learn under a master there. Sooooo, were I an evil person, with pernicious intentions, those folks on the plane would have some very serious problems.
Steven Seagal, I certainly am not. I won't even pretend to have those skills. But a fight against 6, maybe 8 guys? It wouldn't phase me in the least. I'm not making any threats myself -- I am patriotic, red-blooded American -- however, people NEVER KNOW what type of situation they are interjecting themselves into. Those that did in my situation, were it to occur -- would all find themselves in a terrible, terrible world of hurt.
So what do you make of that, skippy?
Will, buddy, in this day of post-9/11 realities, I don't give a ___— what you know or what you think you're going to do, as a plane full of passengers is going to overpower you no matter how tough you think you are. And, yes, you may hurt 4, 5, or even six or so, but then you start to get tired, someone raps you in the head with something or even gets in a lucky shot at you, then you go down, and I don't care who you are then, you WILL get hurt, and payback is, well, you know.
William Worthington, Mama clearly stated that she was on a plane READY FOR TAKEOFF. She never mentioned being at 30k feet with an irate passenger.
Even with all your skills, an Air Marshall can shoot you with a .22 and the bullet would probably not even exit your body to endanger the aircraft. Good luck, "Skippy"