A Nevada woman has been charged with federal offences after allegedly becoming so disruptive on an American Airlines flight that she was restrained with flex cuffs and duct-taped to her seat. Ketty Dilone, 47, is accused of threatening to kill multiple crew members and assaulting a flight attendant while largely immobilised, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on 16 September aboard American Airlines flight 2470, which was travelling from Charlotte to Las Vegas after originating in the Dominican Republic. About halfway through the journey, Dilone left her seat and began walking down the aisle yelling while recording the aircraft. When asked to stop filming, she became enraged and allegedly told flight attendants, 'I will kill you b***h!' and made aggressive postures.
Cabin crew physically restrained Dilone in her seat using flex cuffs around her wrists and her seatbelt. To prevent her from slipping out, a flight attendant taped her torso with duct tape. Despite this, Dilone kicked the flight attendant twice, striking the back of her legs. Her legs were then also restrained with duct tape to prevent further injury.
A bystander captured part of the tirade on video, later uploaded to TikTok, in which Dilone can be heard screaming about the flex cuffs hurting and recounting a childhood attempt to kill her father by putting rat poison in his coffee. Flight attendants had to rearrange passengers seated nearby and monitor Dilone during descent, preventing them from preparing the aircraft for landing.
Law enforcement met the flight upon landing at Harry Reid International Airport. Dilone was taken into custody by Las Vegas police and later booked by the FBI on charges of interference with a flight crew and assault by striking, beating, or wounding. She faces up to 20 years in prison. Court records show she was arrested on felony domestic violence charges in 2005 but pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour.
An American Airlines spokesperson said, 'The safety of our customers and team members is our highest priority. We take this matter very seriously and are working closely with law enforcement on its investigation.' So far this year, the FAA has received 1,154 reports of unruly passengers, down from a peak of 5,973 in 2021.
