Muslim Passenger Screaming ‘Allah’ Tries to Storm Cockpit of JetBlue Flight Out of Boston
JetBlue Flight 261 was heading out of Boston for San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday night when, according to an FBI affidavit, “an unruly passenger” had to be “physically restrained by flight crew members in response to a physical altercation during the passenger’s attempt to gain access to the flight deck.”
A little over an hour before the flight reached San Juan, the passenger, Khalil El Dahr, “attempted to make a telephone call and became angry about the call’s unsuccess.” This must have been a supremely important phone call, for a few minutes later, El Dahr “pulled himself out of his seat and rushed toward the flight deck yelling to be shot in the Spanish language.”
At that point, a flight attendant (FA) “physically redirected El Dahr into the area in front of the front row before the galley.” However, in a spectacular instance of poor judgment, bad timing, or both, “as the JetBlue FA had El Dahr corralled in the area before the galley on the right side of the plane, a flight crew officer opened the cockpit door.”
El Dahr saw his chance: He “observed the door open and then grabbed the JetBlue FA by their collar and tie with one hand while using his other hand to grab the overhead compartment to gain leverage to kick. As the JetBlue FA was kicked in chest, El Dahr yelled for the flight crew officer to shoot him. While El Dahr was yelling, he was still holding the JetBlue FA by their tie. This resulted in the tie tightening and ultimately prevented the JetBlue FA from breathing. In response, the JetBlue FA released El Dahr to loosen the tie to prevent from being choked and incapacitated. The JetBlue FA was then able to loosen the tie and grab hold of El Dahr to prevent him from successfully breaching the galley area and gaining access to the flight deck.”
El Dahr fought fiercely even when restrained: “When the second JetBlue FA responded to the front of the plane, they observed El Dahr grab the first JetBlue FA by the tie and punch them in the chest. The second JetBlue FA then assisted to get El Dahr restrained. One of the restraints used was a pair of flex cuffs provided by an off-duty FA on board the flight. The flex cuffs were applied to El Dahr’s wrists, but El Dahr resisted so much that El Dahr was able to break the cuffs and free himself. After, a second pair was fastened along with at least four seat belt extenders to secure El Dahr to a seat in the back of the plane.”
All this over a failed phone call? Was El Dahr trying to reconnect with a lost love? Send out a distress call to Batman? In any case, it ultimately took “six or seven flight crew members” to restrain El Dahr: “A struggle ensued as El Dahr requested to be shot and killed. El Dahr spoke in Spanish and Arabic which was translated by other flight crew members. The second JetBlue FA stated that at one point during the incident, they were able to understand El Dahr say Allah in a raised tone.”
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