A California man was arrested on Wednesday after attempting to strangle a flight attendant and threatening to kill everyone on board a Frontier Airlines flight, leading to the flight being diverted, officials reported. Charles Angela Salva, 30, from Fremont, California, was on Flight 3581 from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana to San Francisco International Airport on Monday, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. If convicted of interfering with flight crew members, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Frontier Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement to USA TODAY, noting that Salva physically assaulted crew members and had to be restrained, forcing the flight to divert to Ontario, California. A passenger observed that Salva appeared "claustrophobic" and eager to get off the plane.
Shortly after takeoff, flight attendants noticed oxygen masks hanging from an overhead compartment and discovered that Salva had pulled them down and got his hand stuck. He then began shouting obscenities such as "We are all going to hell" and "This airplane is going down." Salva left his seat, grabbed at other passengers, and ran toward the rear of the aircraft.
As crew members attempted to restrain him, Salva assaulted them multiple times. He allegedly tried to choke one attendant—leaving two small marks on their neck—and pushed another while threatening to kill everyone. After breaking out of flex cuffs, he had to be restrained with a seatbelt with help from other passengers. He kicked one flight attendant in the legs about six times, causing bruising and swelling that required medical attention.
The flight was diverted to Ontario International Airport. Frontier Airlines expressed appreciation for the professionalism of their crew and assistance from passengers during the incident. They also thanked local and federal law enforcement as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for ensuring justice.
The FBI and Ontario Police Department are investigating the incident. As of Friday, there have been 897 incidents involving unruly passengers this year according to the Federal Aviation Administration.