Shane McInerney refused to wear mask and attacked crew, prosecutors say.
He also created chaos in other ways throughout the trip — including mooning people as he was escorted back to his seat, throwing a drink can at the head of another passenger and kicking the seat of the person in front of him, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn.
As the plane was landing, when passengers and crew members were seated and wearing seat belts, McInerney defiantly stood in the aisle and refused to sit, officials said. McInerney was charged with assaulting and intimidating a crew member on Delta Flight 45. He was released on a $20,000 bond when he appeared before a judge a week ago. His case was unsealed on Friday.McInerney was headed to Daytona, Fla., where he was taking a job teaching soccer.
Air travel mask mandates have resulted in a number of tense episodes between travelers and the staff tasked with enforcing them. An on its way to London from Miami carrying 129 passengers and 14 crew on Wednesday turned around an hour after departure because of an unruly customer, a woman said to be in her 40s who protested mask-wearing.