30s Female First-Class Passenger Sentenced to Prison for Disturbance on Airplane

Verbal and Physical Violence Against Other Passengers and Crew on Flight
Spat at Male Passenger Trying to Film Incident
"First-Class Passenger Status Does Not Exempt from Prosecution"

Kelly Pichado, who resides in New York, was sentenced to four months in prison last February for interfering with crew duties in the first-class cabin of an American Airlines flight departing from Dallas to Los Angeles. Photo by AP News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Juri] A U.S. woman who caused a passenger plane to return mid-flight after fighting with flight attendants and passengers was sentenced to prison.

According to the AP News and others on the 11th (local time), 32-year-old Kelly Pichado, who resides in New York, was sentenced to four months in prison earlier this month for interfering with flight attendant duties in first class on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Los Angeles last February.

Pichado and another female first-class passenger verbally and physically assaulted other passengers and flight attendants on board. To remove the uncontrollable two women, the plane returned to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

They assaulted one passenger and made racist remarks to a male passenger who tried to intervene. In particular, Pichado spat at the male passenger who was trying to record the situation.

The FBI and Phoenix police investigated the incident and charged the two women with verbal and physical assault against passengers and flight attendants.

The Arizona state prosecutor said, "There is a line between aggressive behavior and criminal acts on board, and the defendant crossed that line," adding, "Being a first-class passenger does not exempt one from prosecution. The defendant's verbal and physical threats disrupted the travel of both passengers and flight attendants."

The Arizona District Court judge ordered Pichado earlier this month to serve four months in prison, pay approximately $9,200 (about 12.72 million KRW) in compensation to American Airlines, and undergo three years of probation after release.

The other female passenger involved in the incident with Pichado is expected to be sentenced in November.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.