United Airlines Duct Taped Unruly Passenger To Her Seat
A United Airlines crew was apparently forced to use duct tape to restrain an unruly passenger after the normal ankle cuffs kept slipping off. The passenger, who was apparently quite intoxicated after having several drinks at the airport (she also brought alcohol onto the plane), is accused of slapping a flight attendant on the behind, and grabbing and pulling the hair of a passenger whom she'd fallen on.
Castillo, 45, struck a flight attendant on the buttocks with the back of her hand during Saturday's flight, FBI Special Agent Peter Carricato said in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte. She also stood and fell onto the head of a blind passenger and later started pulling the person's hair, the complaint stated.
Ankle cuffs kept slipping off Castillo, so the flight crew and two passengers were forced to use duct tape to keep her in her seat, the complaint states.
She calmed as the pilot diverted the flight to Charlotte-Douglass International Airport, but became disruptive again when authorities boarded the plane to remove her, authorities said.
Watch how much you drink at the airport, people.
FBI: Airline passenger restrained with duct tape [AP]
(Photo: Getty)
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Fortunately, United keeps duct tape on board for those last-minute repair jobs. Holding on the engines, for instance.
Should have just given her another shot. Sounds like one more and she would have passed out
"Watch how much you drink at the airport, people."
Exactly.
Much cheaper to drink off airport and show up there drunk as well.
TSA loves it.
I'm surprised that they didn't add a new ticket fee for them later. "Duct Tape Fee" or "Unusual Restraint Fee" or something like that.
UA could make a killing off of adding a duct tape fee for their tickets.
I love duct tape. I wonder if the TSA lets you bring your own?
310Drew: The customers are right until they engage in federal crimes like assaulting other passengers and/or flight crewmembers and refusing to follow the directions of a flight crewmember.
Then they are not only wrong, but they're toast.
It seems to me that serving alcohol on a plane is not worth the additional revenue. If I had a airline it would not be allowed.
Worse: Bringing alcohol on-board the plane. (I can't believe this is legal...)
Worser: Physically abusing the flight crew and passengers.
Worst: Causing thousands of dollars in lost fuel, flight diversions, changes in the flight schedules, and screwing up 50+ passengers' days.
Ms. Castillo, today's worst. Person. In the woooooooorrrrld!
Figures everyone would be blaming the customer!
I'm pretty sure that it wasn't the flight crew that duct taped her to the seat.
sounds like better entertainment than they usually provide.
Must have been generic cuffs, for they are not set up for small radii like ankles.
Good ole duct tape, great for taping blown hoses, securing broken windows, taping your bratty sister to the wall if she gets out of hand...
@blackmage439: Ooh...some people can hold their liquor and not act like jackasses :) They should be able to bring it on, but it should also be "confiscate-able" if they get wacky.
@blackmage439: Most airlines don't allow you to bring your own alcohol on the plane. I'm wondering if she purchased it after the security check and stashed it in her bag.
How was this person even allowed on the plane anyway? You're not supposed to be allowed on the plane drunk.
@SkokieGuy: At least I'm not the only one that found it strangely alarming that they had duct tape on the flight.
Wait, so is duct-taping unruly passengers an additional fee or is it included as a complimentary service?
I wonder if she was able to get any more drinks while taped. United needs all the drink fees it can get.
Some people would pay to be duct taped to a seat or get their hair pulled.
/Ducks
"Watch how much you drink at the airport, people."
I think some people are just nuts... They can usually suppress it when they're sober, but they can't suppress it when they're drunk.
No matter how much I drink, I don't get out of control like that. It sounds like this woman needs to watch how much she drinks anywhere, lest the monster gets loose.
I despise United Airlines after having been forced to use them by the smallness of my local airport for the first 22 years of my life. This, however, is the best thing ever. I hope this becomes airline policy! Duct tape 'em to the seat, add a strip over the mouth...what unruly passenger, again?
Yeah...children shouldn't be allowed on airplanes!!!
Oh, wrong discussion.
I'm fine with people like this being restrained in any way, shape, and form necessary. Honestly, I think it would be a much better world if people weren't allowed to get slobbering drunk on a plane, or even in the airport.
A better solution would be to simply ban any drunk fliers from flying in the future. This would solve the problem really quick, since many people need to fly for work. They'd probably keep themselves in slightly better shape.
One word: GOOD!
@SkokieGuy: As scary/sad as it sounds in the case of a true emergency duct tape could be lifesaver for repairing something...
Can we start duct taping all obnoxious kids as well?
The way air travel works today it would most likely be more agreeable to fly drunk...unless you wake up in jail!
I don't understand how alcohol could make someone behave like this. It makes me giggle a little bit, and then I throw up and fall asleep.
Can we just have special flights for drunks and those who would like to fly with drunks? This lady sounds like a lot of fun. Certainly less annoying than kids.
@SkokieGuy: Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
Thank you, I'll be here all week.
Don't forget to mention the $15 fee that the passenger had to pay for the duct tape.
@shadowsurfr1: On average, the customers were right. That one was outnumbered by all the others on the plane who were.
This is really hilarious and quite surprising. 1- You are not allowed to board an airplane if you are a VIP- Visibly Intoxicated Person 2- You aren't allowed to take WATER let alone alcohol on board a plane. (I was forced to throw away prime rib and a red bull when I was boarding a plane in Miami)
It seems to me that there are 4 people at fault:
1- The Woman for being drunk.
2- The person searching the woman's luggage, who didn't catch the bottle of alcohol
3- The bartender who served her
4- The attendant working the door who allowed her to board the plane.
I must say the worst encounters I've ever had with drunks have been at airports and on planes. What it is it about air travel that makes otherwise "decent", "normal" people completely lose their minds and turn into obnoxious drunk douchebags the moment they set foot into an airport or plane?
I could understand a drink or two if a person was fearful of air travel and needed something to "take the edge off" and relax for the flight, but many of the folks I have encountered could give the frat boys at S. Padre on Spring Break a run for their money! The level of their intoxication is just asinine, and I don't understand why there are not more public intoxication arrests at airports (or at the very least, refusing such passengers admission to the plane).
We already have to suffer idiotic/power hungry airline and security personnel, and the addition of obnoxious drunks to the mix is a guaranteed recipe for a miserable travelling experience. Thank God I don't have to fly often.
As much as I despise drunks (I don't care what people drink, smoke, snort, or inject-just keep your stupidity out of my presence), taping the passenger to the seat probably did "cross the line" a bit. On the other hand, everyone on board was probably so sick of her antics she is lucky they did not just kick her out of the plane at altitude!
@Landru: No. Rolls of duct tape get confiscated for this very reason. You can use it to hold people hostage.
@jusooho:
Perfect. I love the idea of a "sober" airline, and I bet it could actually be profitable. (I can only imagine how difficult it must be for recovering alcoholics to travel by air-booze is ubiquitous in airports and on planes.)
@Dawnrazor: Something to remember - once you're in the air, the cabin pressure is lowered to about the 8,000' (2,700m) level - which acts for most people as about a 2.5x multiplier for the effects of alcohol. So someone that had a couple drinks at the airport to calm their nerves will have the effects of about 5 once they are in the air...
I just paid for my parking for my plane. I said it before and I will say it again. Its cheaper, faster, better, ok so I do not get to set back all the time. Still I take off when I want, no TSA, and if I am not flying I can drink as I want. Lets not forget I can pull out a porn mag also.
@310Drew: When a customer is a danger to themselves or others, they are no longer right. The flight attendants took control of the situation and "forced" compliance instead of just landing the plane and inconveniencing all the other passengers
Bravo for quick thinking flight attendants!
From the stress, dehydration, germs, and overall busy nature of flying, why would ANYONE drink before boarding a plane? And why would anyone drink more than one or two drinks on the plane itself?
"A United Airlines crew was apparently forced to use duct tape to restrain an unruly passenger after the normal ankle cuffs kept slipping off."
WTF... how anorexic do you have to be for that to happen...or did she have nubs for feet?
what happened to the customer is always right ???