“I’m going to stab everyone on the plane. Then kill myself. I’m Palestinian! That’s how we get down!”
Famous last words…
United Passenger Arrested After Threatening To Stab Passengers
Dana Ghazi Mustafa is in lots of trouble. The troubled 27-year-old was on a United flight from Frankfurt to Washington Dulles last Saturday and not having a good day. First, flight attendants busted her for smoking in the lavatory.
Interestingly, the plane did not divert nor was she initially cuffed. Instead, she was returned to her seat where she began crying. Mustafa told flight attendants she had just lost members of her family in North Carolina, who were killed by a drunk driver. Flight attendants took her at her word and began pampering her.
But it turns out the only drunk one was Mustafa herself. Other passengers reported she began punching the monitor in front of her seat and then threw a coin at the bulkhead wall. She later got up and walked around the aircraft while striking the flint of her lighter. Finally, she attempted to return to the lavatory to smoke again.
Two Federal Air Marshal were onboard and were enlisted by flight attendants to subdue the woman. Mustafa battled against the marshals, kicking them and attempting to squirm out of their grasp. After threatening to stab an Air Marshal, she yelled:
“I’m going to stab everyone on the plane. Then kill myself. I’m Palestinian! That’s how we get down!”
The flight did not divert, but Mustafa was finally handcuffed and subdued for the remainder of the flight.
A half-empty, liter-sized bottle of Absolut Vodka was found in her bag and the marshals reported that she smelled of alcohol.
Upon landing, she admitted her story about the death of her family was fabricated.
CONCLUSION
Mustafa faces up to eight years in prison for assaulting a federal officer, but will likely receive a dramatically reduced sentence and may not spend any time behind bars, especially if a court determines she needs psychiatric care.
I’m impressed the aircraft did not divert (though flying over the Atlantic makes that somewhat difficult…).
image: Alexandria Sheriff’s Office
Psychiatric care?? She was drunk and knew exactly what she was doing.
They know that there just setting an excuse in play. I’m sure they have no plans on doing anything to inconvenience her. They are much more worried about being called racist. Me I would give her the max jail time.
Agree with Andy. Entitled millenial. No excuses. Jail.
Entitled millennial? What a silly thing to say. As if we haven’t seen people of all ages getting drunk and doing stupid things on planes (or just in life, generally).
Speaking of needing psychiatric care…
Lock her up!
It probably wasn’t funny at the time, but the mental picture of somebody screaming “I’m going to stab everyone!” just makes me laugh. I picture a disheveled woman in a cartoonish manner swinging a knife and screaming as she’s subdued by fellow pax.
I hope Ms. Mustafa gets the helps she most likely needs.
Actually, the funny part of the rant was the ‘that’s how we get down!’ part. That made me laugh.
I would have been concerned and sad if this had happened on one of my flights. I would have been pi$$ed if it had led to a diversion, too.
And, Matthew, I’d prefer to think of it as a half-full bottle of Absolut. 😉
Always the optimist! 😉
“Psychiatric care?? She was drunk and knew exactly what she was doing.”
Right, cuz you investigated her background and know her mental health history. Of course, talk about entitled and arrogant…. Self reflect a bit on your own arrogance and assumptions.
Somebody sure could’ve used a Xanax. Without the vodka, of course.
Oddly, it seems like its been quite sometime since I heard about an Air Marshal -it seems like we have had so many recent air events without the intervention of an Air Marshall that I was wondering if they were still regularly flying.
It also may be the reason the flight was not diverted because of the air marshall(s). I keep forgetting to ask FA’s on recent flights (and not sure how accurate an answer I might have received).
Perhaps they fly more targeted international flights over domestic.
Yes, that is a fair point and may well be the reason diversion was avoided.
They are usually much more common on flights into/out of DC and this plane was going to Dulles International.
She made a big mistake but is it such a huge deal? Clearly, she’s troubled and needs support. I’d err on the charitable side and get her into care/counselling. Prison would be inappropriate.
I tend to agree. Actions should have consequences, but what good is throwing someone who may have substance abuse problems in jail? How does that make her a productive and flourishing citizen once again?
They are usually much more common on flights into/out of DC and this plane was going to Dulles International.
She could get counseling in prison
prison will also have the counseling you feel she needs
Perhaps a little off point but…did I read correct that she had a liter bottle in her bag? How did that get through security? And perhaps even more off point, had it been discovered and she had been found already inebriated to a degree, what is the protocol to handle such a scenario?
She probably purchased duty free. Policy is to confiscate if taken out of sealed case (self-consumption not permitted onboard)