30-year-old Kinman Chan was charged with interfering with the duties of a flight attendant on allegations that he fought the crew members of US Airways Flight 1447 from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. The in-flight freakout forced the plane to divert to Pittsburgh.
Crew members said Chan made odd gestures before he entered the plane's rear restroom shortly after takeoff and began to scream, according to the complaint.The U.S. attorney's office in Pittsburgh has confirmed that Chan does indeed have a legally issued medical marijuana card for a "legitimate" health issue, whatever that means. This, of course, does not excuse dropping pants and fighting flight attendants.
Chan told the FBI that he "came back to reality" and exited the restroom, at which point the crew noticed his "pants were down, his shirt was untucked and all the compartments in the restroom were opened."
When crew members tried to get Chan to sit, he fought them and had to be subdued in a choke hold, the complaint said.
Chan told agents who interviewed him in Pittsburgh that he ate marijuana cookies while waiting for his flight to depart in Philadelphia.
"Chan advised he has a medical marijuana card and he took double his normal dose," the complaint said.
Chan faces a preliminary hearing on Friday. The charge of interfering with the duties of a flight attendant carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
