A Delta Air Lines passenger on a flight from Florida to Los Angeles is accused of slapping a flight attendant on the backside after she allegedly skipped him during drink service, prompting the captain to divert the plane to Atlanta, where the passenger was arrested.
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A flight attendant walks down the aircraft aisle. Illustration
(Photo: Matej Kastelic / shutterstock)
The passenger, 32-year-old Cody James Maluck, now faces a federal charge that carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, according to federal court documents cited by People magazine and other media outlets in the U.S. and abroad.
The incident occurred on May 9, but returned to headlines in recent days after a federal grand jury in Atlanta indicted Maluck. According to court documents, the flight attendant, identified by the initials P.L.L., was serving drinks to passengers on Delta Flight 800 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Los Angeles when she reached the row where Maluck was seated. The flight attendant believed he was asleep and continued to the next passenger without waking him.
According to the complaint, as she served another passenger near Maluck’s seat, she felt a “strike” to her buttocks with enough force to move her body forward. She then turned around and allegedly saw Maluck raise his hands and say words to the effect of, “I didn’t do anything.”
The flight attendant reported the incident to the lead flight attendant, who notified the captain. Another flight attendant told investigators she heard a shout and saw her colleague move forward as if she had been pushed or hit. That flight attendant stopped serving drinks in her section so she could assist her colleague and move her away from Maluck’s seat.
The captain then decided to divert the aircraft to Atlanta International Airport, where police were waiting. After the plane landed, the FBI took over the case, as it investigates offenses committed aboard commercial flights in the United States.
According to the documents, Maluck told investigators he was wearing headphones and did not hear the flight attendant offer him a drink. He admitted touching the flight attendant on the buttocks but denied doing so with enough force to move her forward. He said he did not intend to hurt or disrespect her, but only wanted to get her attention after she passed him during service.
Maluck was arrested after the plane landed in Atlanta, and a court later ordered that he remain in custody pending further proceedings. On June 3, a federal grand jury in Atlanta indicted him on a charge of interfering with a flight crew, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Delta said in a statement that it has “zero tolerance” for unruly or violent behavior on its flights, adding they will continue to cooperate with law enforcement to address such conduct and protect its employees and customers.