A male passenger was arrested on the runway at Chicago O’Hare International Airport after allegedly pleasuring himself next to a woman during a United Airlines flight. Police met the aircraft upon its arrival on Monday after reports of inappropriate behavior in mid-air.
Flight UA516 departed Atlanta, Georgia, bound for Chicago, Illinois, on October 26. The cabin crew were alerted to the alleged indecent behavior by a passenger. A female passenger said she was shocked to see that the man in the window seat next to her was masturbating.
Police meet flight at gate
Crew on the brief 90-minute flight, operated by an Airbus A319, contacted ground operational control to request that law enforcement and airport authorities meet the aircraft upon arrival. After landing on Runway 10R at O’Hare, the aircraft taxied to Terminal 3, where police officers were waiting at Gate G12 to take the individual for questioning, reports Air Live.
Distracting or engaging in lewd conduct on a commercial aircraft falls under federal jurisdiction and can lead to severe penalties, including federal charges and banishment from the airline.
Related incident on TUI flight
In a separate case, a woman who exposed herself on a TUI flight is facing jail. Sarah Parker, 30, was on her way to Melbourne in Florida from Birmingham Airport on July 24 last year when the incident occurred. Parker, who boarded the plane drunk, got out of her seat to use the bathroom during take-off despite being given strict instructions not to.
Cabin crew reminded Parker of the rules, but she pulled down both her shorts and underwear and stood in the aisle where fellow travellers could see her. The charge document noted she behaved in an indecent manner by “pulling down her shorts and underwear, squatting and exposing her vagina in full view of other passengers.”
The charge added that she “failed to obey a lawful command, namely sitting in her seat after being instructed to do so and making her way to the toilet.” Parker previously pleaded guilty to outraging public decency, failing to comply with the pilot’s lawful safety instructions, and being intoxicated on a plane.
