An unidentified amateur photographer is suing American Airlines for defamation, false imprisonment and emotional distress, among other charges, stemming from an in-flight disturbance that allegedly began when another passenger mistook the man’s vintage camera equipment for an explosive device.
The incident, which resulted in the hasty evacuation of passengers and the man’s detainment by FBI agents, occurred on a flight from Indianapolis to New York’s La Guardia Airport on Oct. 9, 2021. According to the lawsuit, a female passenger with an infant seated next to the plaintiff treated her seatmate with suspicion for an extended portion of the flight, repeatedly leaving her assigned seat and attempting to move elsewhere on the aircraft — including while the seatbelt light was illuminated. At some point, the woman brought her concerns about the male passenger to flight attendants, whom the lawsuit states made no attempt to speak to the plaintiff, nor relocate either passenger to a new seat. The suit seeks $75,000 in restitution on behalf of the unidentified plaintiff.
“[N]o Defendant and no employee, agent, or contractor of Defendants’, spoke to Plaintiff at any time during the flight, not even for cabin service, because Plaintiff was sleeping or dozing for most of the flight,” the lawsuit states, adding that “instead of approaching Plaintiff and talking to him, asking what he had with him, moving Plaintiff away from the woman in 13F, and otherwise diffusing the situation,...
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