An Oregon man exposes the folly of too much alcohol consumption and the potentially destructive combination of drinking and flying. His tip-sy behavior on an American Airlines flight forced a diversion and may leave him shafted in prison.
I Just Can’t Wait: Inebriated Man Prompts Diversion On American Airlines Flihgt AFter Bathroom Break In First Class Cabin
For 25-year-old Neil McCarthy, the day began innocent enough. The Oregon resident showed up for his American Airlines flight from Portland (PDX) to Manchester, New Hampshire (MHT) via Chicago (ORD). To take the edge off, he had a drink…a Jack & Coke…and then another and then another.
McCarthy purportedly told police officers he had downed “several” Jack & Cokes in Oregon and then “several more” during his layover in Chicago O’Hare.
The flight to Chicago went smoothly enough, but things went downhill fast on the connection to Manchester. Somewhere over New York state, McCarthy rose from his first class seat but instead of walking the five feet to the lavatory, dropped his trousers and urinated on the cabin floor.
All because the flight attendant told him to wait till the ‘seatbelt sign’ was off 🤦🏾 . Welcome to the no fly list pissman! pic.twitter.com/oVy79q24PE
— ALIX (@onecuteassnigga) July 11, 2024
When I first saw the pictures above, I figured this occurred before landing when the seat belt light was on and he was told he could not use the lavatory but found he could not hold it.
Not so, apparently. Instead, this just happened midflight—presumably because of his inebriated state. His “bathroom break” forced the flight to diver to Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) where police boarded the plane to arrest him.
US Attorneys have chosen to prosecute him and he stands accused of indecent exposure and faces a $5,000 fine and a six-month prison sentence if convicted.
Beyond that, American Airlines has banned him and he faces registry as a sex offender.
Once again, the lesson is that alcohol consumption and flying are not always a happy combination. If you are a nervous flyer, may I suggest a different coping mechanism…
image: Twitter