A Nevada woman has been charged by the FBI after she allegedly became so disruptive on an American Airlines flight that crew members restrained her with flex cuffs and duct tape. 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 in federal court.
The incident occurred on 16 September aboard American Airlines flight 2470, which was travelling from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Las Vegas. Dilone left her seat midway through the journey, walking down the aisle and yelling while recording the cabin. When asked to stop filming, she became enraged and threatened flight attendants, saying, 'I will kill you b***h!'
Crew members placed flexible cuffs around Dilone's wrists and fastened her seat belt to restrain her. When she continued to struggle, a flight attendant used duct tape to secure her torso. Dilone then kicked the same flight attendant twice in the legs, leading to her legs also being taped. A passenger filmed part of the outburst, later posting the footage on TikTok.
The affidavit states that flight attendants had to rearrange nearby passengers and monitor Dilone during descent, preventing them from preparing the cabin for landing. Upon arrival at Harry Reid International Airport, law enforcement took Dilone into custody. The FBI has charged her with interference with a flight crew and assault.
Dilone faces up to 20 years in prison. Court records show a prior 2005 arrest for felony domestic violence, which was reduced to a misdemeanour. The Federal Aviation Administration has recorded over 1,100 unruly passenger incidents so far this year.
