2024 is off to a roaring start, with an American Airlines flight attendant punched and spit for the temerity of telling a passenger to stop kicking his seatmate’s seat.
Man Repeatedly Punches American Airlines Flight Attendant In Drunken Outburst
The incident took place on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, on a flight from Dallas (DFW) to Bozeman, Montana (BZN). Keith Edward Fagiana, a Las Vegas resident, was accused by the passenger seated in front of him of “violently kicking” his seat. The passenger asked a flight attendant for assistance and the flight attendant told Fagiana to stop kicking.
Rather than stop kicking, Fagiana became enraged and punched the flight attendant four times in the stomach while cussing him out. The flight attendant, with the assistance of other passengers, tackled Fagiana and restrained him with flex cuffs.
Fagiana responded by spitting on fellow passengers before banging his head repeatedly on the aircraft window.
The pilot diverted the Boeing 737 to Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (AMA) in Texas, where law enforcement boarded the aircraft to remove him. Fagiana complained that the flex cuffs were hurting, but when police officers switched them out for metal handcuffs, he spat on them and kicked one in the groin.
It was determined that Fagiana was drunk. He admitted to consuming Captain Morgan rum prior to the flight at “various bars.”
American Airlines issued a brief statement condemning the incident:
“Acts of violence are not tolerated by American Airlines and we are committed to working closely with law enforcement in their investigation.”
He now faces an interference with flight crew charge and will appear in court today.
CONCLUSION
Excessive rum + flying do not mix. Taking “orders” from Captain Morgan is not a good idea. Fagiana now faces a stiff fine and prison time. Helpfully the flight attendant and cop are okay…
image: Dazia Poland (passenger onboard) + mug shot from Randall County Jail
He needed a beat down from the police
Kicking a cop is never a good idea
Lifetime ban on American, a heavy fine and jail time. Please, people need to understand the consequences of their actions.
Give him a good long sentence and a massive fine.
Hopefully Delta, UA and SWA put his name on the no fly list too.
A year in actual jail, a gigantic fine (equivalent to a year’s income, or 1/2 of all assets liquid or otherwise), and a lifetime ban from all airlines worldwide. Period, no negotiation, no exceptions. Cut off a finger, too, while we’re at it.
It’s time to start making examples of idiots like this and those that act out – every single one of them, until the message gets through peoples’ heads, that misbehavior has consequences. We see this everywhere, every day, it’s so prevalent nobody even notices. We need a fundamental society-wide reset on the expectations of living in a society and a severe crackdown on misbehavior. You want to participate in society? Then play by the rules, Or Else. You won’t like what the “Or Else” is like.
Don’t like it? Fine. Go to jail, or go move to your cabin up in the hills. Civilization has had enough of this BS, and those who perpetrate it.
Full ride felony. And he can fly on Con Air.
USA!USA!USA! The greatest country in the World! Every single day a violent incidents happening at the airports and airplanes.
At least they have airports.
You?
This is a perfect example of why we need a national no-fly list that airlines can put people on.
Two thoughts:
Spitting on someone is also assault, so seems like there ought to be several counts of assault for this person to contend with– not just the FA and the police officer.
Also, if you have to have an ID to buy alcohol, and IDs can have magnetic strips and or chips, just like credit cards and debit cards can, why not have an alcohol license– meaning a person has to have a license to buy, possess, or consume alcohol? The ID gets swiped when you buy to see if you have a valid license, and can also be checked when you get caught doing other dumb stuff.
For someone who does something like this– a term of incarceration to exceed one year, a hefty fine with seizure of assets if needed to compensate the victims and the tax payers, a lifetime ban from airports and flights, and revoking the alcohol license. Punishment, compensation, and prevention.
Excellent point. I like this idea of a banned alcohol ID.
You forgot the “cut off a finger, too” part.
Don’t coddle these creeps. ACCOUNTABILITY!
“…a Las Vegas resident”. That was enough for me to stop reading the article. I already knew the outcome.
I guess we’ve reached the point in history we must all wear plexiglass body shields just to walk down the street in case someone who doesn’t know us decides they don’t like us and wants to club us over the head to substantiate their annoyance.
We have fully reverted to our ape ancestry.
I think this country needs a high security and very private prison, way out in a desert somewhere where abusive and really bad and stupid citizens can be put and treated in ways that will make it clear to them that this kind of behavior will not ever be tolerated in society any longer.
Headline says the F/A is a She. Article says the F/A is a him. Either way, throw this Palooka in jail.
How did he get on the plane? These drunks are dangerous in the air..
Do NOT allow them to fly!!
He is an alcoholic. His bad behavior will happen again because he is an abusive drunk. In addition to penalties (fine, incarceration), he needs mandatory rehab.