A woman has been accused of dragging a flight attendant down the aisle by her ponytail and punching another in the face on a raucous Spirit Airlines flight from Florida after two passengers turned down her lewd advances.
Angry That Her Romantic Advances Were Turned Down, Woman Punches Flight Attendant, Drags Another By Ponytail On Spirit Airlines Flight From Florida
Federal prosecutors have detailed the event, which took place on November 27, 2021 onboard a Spirit Airlines flights from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Nashville (BNA).
The suspect, 43-year-old Amanda Renee Henry, is alleged to have “made lewd sexual advances” toward the two male passengers seated next to her. She began by “acting flirtatious” but then placed her hands on the other passengers and eventually laid her head on them.
Both men complained to a flight attendant, who reseated them. This made Henry, who exhibited signs of intoxication, “irate and belligerent.” Flight attendants then asked Henry to move to another seat away from the emergency exit row. This was the “final straw” for Henry and she responded by grabbing her carry-on items, marching up the aisle, and declaring, “I’m getting off this plane!”
Flight attendants attempted to restrain her and she responded by pulling one by the ponytail and punching the other in the face. Eventually, flight attendants were able to subdue her and secure her with plastic handcuffs. A firefighter, used to dealing with drunk people, volunteered to sit next to Henry and attempt to calm her down. Police met the aircraft upon landing in Nashville.
The complaint states:
Henry’s actions while seated in the exit row required Flight Attendants 1 and 2 to forego their other duties to relocate Henry and other passengers for aircraft safety. Flight Attendants 1 and 2 were also forced to neglect their normal duties as they restrained Henry as she ran through the aircraft, was returned to her new seat, and withstood her physical assaults while they tried to secure her in her new seat.
While Henry was initially charged by Nashville Police with public intoxication, the charges were later dismissed. However, she now faces federal charges which could carry a jail sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of $250,000.
Criminal records reveal Henry has been previously charged with driving under the influence, assault, and resisting arrest.
CONCLUSION
If the narrative prosecutors allege is correct, the solution is simple: throw the books at her. Make an example of her. It is only when offenders face serious fines and jail time (or community service) that such behavior will cease. I bring you yet another passenger disturbance story to demonstrate that onboard problems show no sign of letting up as we end 2021.
I wonder if she enjoyed a to-go cocktail at an airport bar…?
Why do they drop charges?
Lack of jurisdiction. She was never outside of police custody in Nashville so she couldn’t be PI. The feds had jurisdiction on the plane.
“Flight attendants were forced to neglect their other duties…” HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
That is a rough 43. I thought she was 60.
She looks like she was ran over by a semi. LOL!!!
As we would say in the small Indiana town where I grew up… “rode hard and put away wet”. Perhaps someone should suggest some better skincare products.
Heavy Alcohol use will do that to you. Her liver probably looks 93.
Before I read the comments I sent this article to some friends and I LITERALLY typed, “43 my a**. She’s got to be closing in on 60”.
But then again, I worked with a woman who aged horribly just like this. A quick google search shows all the times she’s been arrested for DUI, public intoxication, and drugs. (Don’t ask how she keeps getting jobs. None of us know).
” It is only when offenders face serious fines and jail time (or community service) that such behavior will cease.”
Throwing the book at her might be morally Justified. But there’s no evidence that stiffer punishment deters crime. Multiple peer-reviewed studies back up this claim.
I never have, and never will, travel on one of these crummy discount carriers. Nothing but horror stories. And always flight to or from Florida.
There are many accounts out there of similar behaviour on American Airlines. Will you be avoiding them too?
Matthew, harming someone to make an example is a miscarriage of justice. Sentences should be in proportion to the acts committed. What we had here is likely a drunk woman acting like drunk people often do. There is no criminal intent. People don’t know they are acting poorly as they are already drunk. Wanting the book thrown at someone is a form of blood lust. You should know the government routinely overcharges citizens which amounts to persecution. This case probably is an example of what warrants a year ban on commercial air travel (let someone charter). Putting someone away and throwing them book at them for being drunk is heavy handed. No one was permanently harmed. Making more victims of an abusive jail and prison/justice (injustice) system does the public no favors nor is fair.
Amy, I think it was the flight attendants she assaulted who were harmed. I’m not calling for her tongue to be cut off; I am calling for her sentencing to be within the statutory discretion of a trial judge, but toward the maximum rather than the minimum side. We can call her a “victim” and make victims out of everyone, but this is not her first alcohol-related offense and criminal intent is not necessarily absent in the cases of drunkennesses because even if the mens rea is missing, it can be conferred based upon a reckless or malicious act, even though technically unintentional.
Justice is not blood lust. On a personal note, the reason I included the (or community service) caveat to my original story is because I also don’t think jail is necessarily helpful. I would prefer hard labor building roads and bridges.
OK, what you said. But consider also cutting off her tongue, too. Seems justified to me.
So she’s a ‘victim’ eh? What of the flight attendants who were physically assaulted? Who speaks for them or are they not high enough up the victims’ totem pole ?
Seriously? Because your drunk and assault people, its not punishable?, because they don’t mean to behave this way, because they drink to forget their problems, and then act up. And people are to say…ya ok”? Wow,
Really Amy??? If she breaks the law, and she has, does it really matter if she’s drunk? Actually it does. I agree, throwing a maximum sentence at her may be exaggerated, but her past record will come into play and she deserves whatever punishment the court renders! Your argument that she was simply drunk holds no water…if a drunk driver kills someone, by your reckoning the court should overlook their guilt because they were drunk and didn’t realize what they were doing was wrong…get real, Amy!
Amy – You’re WRONG! There was criminal intent, the simple act of punching someone in the face is evidence enough of that… Add to it that she drug a flight attendant by the hair?!? OK, so, if I get drunk and do this to you, once I sober up, you’ll forgive me?!?! Yeah right!!!
Your logic is part of why crime is rising and we’re having as many problems as a society these days and it all started with Dr Spock saying don’t spank your kids…. Kids need to be disciplined and need to know there are heavy consequences to their actions… Unfortunately, MANY of these entitled kids have grown into uncontrollable, entitled adults and this is the result. Combine that with people like you with this liberal approach to adjudication and here we are, with a record number of assaults against flight attendants and an unruly society that feels it’s OK to act out when they don’t agree.
threw the case out?? Nuts tha is what is happening too much in America,, letting peeps get away with crimes.. The least they can do with these people is banned from flying all airplanes for 10 years
It’s incredible that almost all these examples of airplane violence involve 1) a flight that touches the state of Florida and/or 2) Spirit Airlines. This one was a slam dunk.
She looks like 73 not 43
think she’s been doing for more than drinking
Human garbage. Yet another case for summary execution.
How about retroactive abortion??
The problem of passengers getting drunk on commercial airliners and acting aggressively towards the crew members and passengers, could easily be solved by the FAA and the airlines. However, neither one of them has the guts to act. The airlines make a lot of money by selling alcoholic beverages on flight. They would rather keep receiving that revenue and continue selling hard liquor and beer, than doing anything about drunk and violent passengers on their flights. If they really wanted to, they could suspend the sale of alcohol on all flights, until this pandemic of violence diminishes. Several airlines have already done that. Secondly, at the security checkpoints, the TSA could randomly screen passengers with a breath test. They can note which passengers appear to small of alcohol, or act “tipsy”, before, on a random boarding a flight. In addition, there has to be more Air Marshalls on domestic flights. The flight attendants should not expected to act like pugilists, or be trained in judo or karate, in order to restrain combative passengers.
“…the TSA could randomly screen passengers with a breath test.” Actually, they can’t. TSA’s authority to screen passengers, accessible property, and checked baggage is actually extremely limited – and appropriately so. TSA screeners can (and have, on numerous occasions) alerted airline and law enforcement personnel that a screening officer detected the odor of “an adult beverage” emanating from a person. But that’s about all TSA can do. FAA regulations forbid airlines from enplaning passengers who APPEAR to be intoxicated – but that’s a tough call. FAs will often enlist each other’s assistance or the assistance of one of the pilots in verifying their observations if they suspect a passenger is intoxicated. However, there are numerous innocuous conditions which can cause a completely sober person to appear intoxicated. Nothing is ever cut and dried.
It’s not the alcohol, there have been airport bars and cocktails on planes forever. It’s the mask requirement, why is that so difficult to understand? The solution is not banning alcohol, it’s allowing people to breathe freely on an airplane.
Sure, it’s the masks that are making people get drunk and attack FAs and other passengers. Glad you pointed that out. It’s obviously why so many Asian people in masks have so many problems in public and on flights. Get over your quest for “freedumb” because if you can’t breathe with a mask on you shouldn’t get on a plane. Perhaps you are the reason they have to explain how a seat belt works in the safety demo? Masks don’t cause violence, people do…to paraphrase another RWNJ perspective 🙂
Have you ever wonded why this insane b******t doesn’t happen outside the USA hardly ever? Does Singapore Airlines or Avianca or Aeroflot have these daily assaults on flight attendants? No! People have drinks on airplanes the world over. I’ve poured a beer on Horizon and Lufthansa without causing mayhem. Yes, throw the federal book at her. Also, how about a zero tolerance policy on violence on airplanes? You throw a punch; you go to jail and a lifetime ban from all public transportation.
Wondered not wonded… damn phone keypad.
Flight attendants usually deserve it.
An awful thing to say I have NEVER encountered a rude attendant in my 26 years of flying American Airlines Maybe just for sake of argument you were the rude one ????
I have disliked them before pandemic so it has nothing to do with masks. Sky nazis always on a power trip or they clearly hate their job and tend to take it out on other passengers. So if a flight attendant is one of those then they deserve whatever beating comes their way.
Oh, I just now noticed Your handle, ANTIMASK That says it all about YOU!!!!!
I would say that is true right about 5o percent of the time. If you get a good FA it can be a great experience if you get JAN or one with a bad attitude you should sit down and shut up before they tie-wrap you.
Low life are attracted to Spirit and Allegiant
As long as these idiots are allowed to get away with their insane behaviour, it will just escalate. Jail them, prosecute them, and publicize the results. Something has to be done. Until the mask requirement is gone, these incidents will continue and they’ll get worse. It’s not the alcohol, it’s the mask requirement. This is not rocket science.
And how many folks have you heard that they died because they were wearing a mask? Keep giving your money to Trump and someday he will give you a job! NOT !!!
That sounds like an uninformed response. Trump was the one that said he would develop a vaccine and that it would be free for everyone in America. He was correct that the vaccine was developed before he was out of office. Trump was also the president when the Mask mandate was initiated. Trying to associate anti-mask with Trump supporter is uninformed. Additionally I don’t know where people died because they were wearing a mask came from. This is an article about the increase in violence on airplanes. Drop your political agenda and stay on topic.
Keep drinking that Cool Aid, Roger!
Why anyone would fly Spirit to begin with is beyond me. I imagine they charged the lady extra to have her arrested plus of course a fee for dragging a flight attendant by the hair.
Ha… Good one! They are a ridiculous airline! Flew them once, NEVER AGAIN!!!