This archive report was first published on 23 December 2021.
On December 22, 2021, Vyvianna Quinonez, a 28-year-old resident of Sacramento, California, pleaded guilty to interfering with a flight, a federal charge that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the plea agreement, the incident occurred on May 23, 2021, when Quinonez's Southwest Airlines flight began its descent into Sacramento. The flight attendant had requested Quinonez to fasten her seatbelt, stow her tray-table, and reposition her mask to cover her mouth and nose.
Quinonez responded by pushing the flight attendant and punching her in the face and head with a closed fist, grabbing her hair in the process. She later told police officers who came aboard for her arrest that she was acting in self-defense, a claim disputed by other passengers' videos.
“The flight attendant who was assaulted was simply doing her job to ensure the safety of all passengers aboard the plane,” said Randy Grossman, a federal prosecutor in California.
Quinonez will face a jail sentence of four months plus six months of house arrest, as well as a three-year ban from flying. Southwest Airlines has a zero-tolerance policy towards physical or verbal abuse against its employees.
