Gilligan!

[Denver]

About 45 minutes into the flight, Johnson gave a comment card in a sealed envelope to a flight attendant, who opened it, read it and gave it to the lead flight attendant, who then gave it to the captain, it said.

"I thought I was going to die, we were so high up," the card said. "I thought to myself: I hope we don't crash and burn or worse yet landing in the ocean, living through it, only to be eaten by sharks, or worse yet, end up on some place like Gilligan's Island, stranded, or worse yet, be eaten by a tribe of headhunters, speaking of headhunters, why do they just eat outsiders, and not the family members? Strange ... and what if the plane ripped apart in mid-flight and we plumited (sic) to earth, landed on Gilligan's Island and then lived through it, and the only woman there was Mrs. Thurston Howell III? No Mary Anne (my favorite) no Ginger, just Lovey! If it were just her, I think I'd opt for the sharks, maybe the headhunters."

The captain then turned the plane around.

Overreaction?

CNN link

 

[Uncayimmy]

Was the card signed with his full name, Joseph Hedlund Johnson? If so, we all know serious criminals are always identified with their middle name, so you'd have to take precautions.

Personally, I think it was an overreaction. Others won't. People will argue about it. In the end, I'll still think it was an overreaction.

 

[fuelair]

Nowadays, most reactions seem over.

 

[shemp]

I think we have turned into a society of goddamn pussies.

 

[quixotecoyote]

I think we have turned into a society of goddamn pussies.

It appears your sig was incorrect.

 

[Denver]

Looks like an overreaction to me.
But, I think the pilot should retain the decision power to overreact like that too.

 

[TsarBomba]

Interesting that he was charged with the crime of interference with a flight crew member, which is codified at 49 u.s.c. sec 46504, and states:

An individual on an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction
of the United States who, by assaulting or intimidating a flight
crew member or flight attendant of the aircraft, interferes with
the performance of the duties of the member or attendant or lessens
the ability of the member or attendant to perform those duties, or
attempts or conspires to do such an act, shall be fined under title
18, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both. However, if a
dangerous weapon is used in assaulting or intimidating the member
or attendant, the individual shall be imprisoned for any term of
years or for life.

Regardless of whether the pilot had an overreaction, have the feds had an overreaction to bring this guy into federal court? On this charge?

Since he did not assault anyone, they will have to show that he used "intimidation" against a flight crew member and that this intimidation interfered with the crew member's performance of their duties or lessened their ability to perform those duties. Really? For handing them this card which was obviously meant to be a joke? Take the guy to federal court? Really?