Passenger Killed on Plane
Family’s Report Shows Teen Was Beaten and Suffocated
The Associated Press
S A L T L A K E C I T Y, Sept 16 — A passenger who
tried to break into the cockpit during a Southwest
Airlines flight was killed by other passengers who
restrained him and not by a heart attack, an
autopsy has concluded.
The U.S. Attorney’s office, however, will not file criminal
charges, saying Jonathan Burton’s Aug. 11 death was merely
an act of self-defense by frightened passengers.
Burton, 19, of Las Vegas, became combative 20 minutes
before Flight 1763 was due to land, hitting other passengers
and pounding on the locked cockpit door.
As many as eight of the plane’s 120 passengers subdued
him.
Burton died after being removed from the plane.
Authorities believed he had died of a heart attack.
Traces of Marijuana
The autopsy report classified his death a homicide because it
resulted from “intentional actions by another individual or
individuals.”
The report, released by Burton’s family, said he
suffocated. He also had contusions and abrasions on his
torso, face and neck, and suffered other blunt force injuries.
“He was strangled, beaten and kicked,” said family
attorney Kent Spence. “We’d like to know how this could
have happened to this young man. This kid had no history of
violence, he would sooner take a spider outside than kill it.”
The autopsy found low levels of marijuana in Burton’s
tissues, but said that was an “unlikely explanation” for his
violent outburst.
Air Rage Takes Off
The family has not decided whether to pursue a lawsuit
against Southwest Airlines or the passengers, Spence said.
The outburst occurred as federal officials report a
dramatic increase in air-rage incidents nationwide. Statistics
from the Federal Aviation Administration showed 292
incidents of “unruly passengers” last year, up from 138 in
1995.
The FAA can recommend fines of up to $25,000 for
airline passengers who “assault, threaten, intimidate or
interfere with a crew member.” |
