DENVER — Court documents spell out federal charges for a man accused of not wearing a mask and then urinating on a plane after being confronted by flight attendants on a March 9 flight from Seattle to Denver.
According to federal court documents, the FBI arrested 24-year-old Landon Grier after the Alaska Airlines flight, which also had to make an emergency landing while the flight experienced a mechanical issue.
A flight attendant noticed Grier was sleeping without a face covering, as required by FAA rules, according to court records.
“She said passenger Grier first got her attention when he swatted at the flight attendant when she asked him to put his mask on. She advised later he stood up, took out his penis, and began peeing…,” an FBI agent described in court documents.
During the disturbance with Grier, the aircraft also experienced an unspecified “mechanical issue,” prompting an emergency landing in Denver.
“...the passenger disruption occurred during a high workload environment while they were descending over the mountains in turbulent conditions. The disruption caused the pilot crew to divert attention from their emergency landing preparation,” the FBI agent wrote.
When interviewed by the FBI, Grier said in court documents he was traveling from Alaska to Denver and that he drank before getting on the flight.
“He had one beer and then had three to four beers and 'a couple of shots' before boarding the plane in Seattle,” the FBI agent wrote.
A review of Grier’s criminal record reveals multiple arrests, including for drunk driving and burglary.
If convicted on his felony federal charge of interfering with a flight crew, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
Grier was unreachable for comment as of this publication.
Alaska Airlines released the following statement: "The safety of our guests and our crew is our top priority. We will not tolerate any disturbance onboard our aircraft or at any of the airports we serve. We appreciate the efforts of our dedicated teams who are committed each day to keeping travel safe and respectful."
If you have any information about this story or would like to send a news tip, you can contact Jeremy Jojola at jeremy@9news.com
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