An apparently intoxicated woman faces charges – including assault of a federal air marshal – after causing a major disturbance Saturday aboard a United Airlines flight from Frankfurt, Germany, to Washington-Dulles International Airport
The woman, identified as Dana Ghazi Mustafa of North Carolina, faces a maximum penalty of eight years in prison if convicted.
There were several issues during the flight involving Mustafa.
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She first was found in the lavatory attempting to smoke after crew members were alerted that a smoke detector in the bathroom had been activated. She was escorted back to her seat without incident, according to Fox News.
After flight attendants saw her crying, Mustafa said she was flying home to see family following the death of a loved one in a drunk driving incident – which she later admitted was a lie. So the crew moved her to a more comfortable seat, which apparently was a problem as she allegedly punched the seatback television and threw a coin at the bulkhead.
Finally, she again tried to enter the restroom and was seen with a lighter in her hand. Flight attendants tried to stop her but she managed to get into the lavatory but could not close the door. Two federal air marshals then jumped into action; the woman repeatedly kicked the air marshals until she was subdued and handcuffed, seated next to the marshals for the remainder of the flight.
The marshals found a half-empty liter of Absolut vodka in her bag. Mustafa said she was allowed to drink her duty-free bottle of vodka on a previous flight.
Mustafa also threatened to stab the air marshal and said: “I’m going to stab everyone on the plane then kill myself. I’m Palestinian! That’s how we get down,” according to court documents.
