The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced the penalty in the case of 29-year-old Cayla Farris, who agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of interfering with a flight crew.

 

Incident Over Face Mask Happened Aboard Hawaii-Bound Flight

According to settlement documents, the incident happened on February 13, 2022, aboard a flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) bound for Honolulu, Hawaii. Around a half-hour into the flight, Farris decided to remove her face covering despite the airline policy calling for all flyers to wear one. Although she initially complied, Farris says she decided to remove it again.

 

When warned again by the flight crew, the settlement claims Farris began “cursing and threatening passengers and air crew members in the operation of her duties.” The disturbance ultimately forced the pilots to return the flight to Phoenix and have Farris removed.

 

Under the agreement, Farris will receive a time-served sentence of 3.6 months in prison and pay American the cost of diverting the flight back to Phoenix. In addition, she will not be allowed to fly aboard a commercial aircraft without the approval of the federal court. She must also not use alcoholic beverages during her supervised release and attend regular mental health counseling appointments.

 

The investigation was handled by both the Phoenix Police Department and the FBI.

 

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Source: frugal travel guy