Dangerous Convict Apparently On My Flight...

[USHenry]

Flight 1225 PHL-ORF on 09/04. I thought a guy with a broken leg as needing additional assistance. He was the first person to board. But as he walked by me I realized first that his eye was very bruised, and he looked sedated as half his face looked paralyzed. Then I realized he was handcuffed and the handcuffs led to a chain around his right leg, which I had thought was a leg brace but was some sort of restraint. He could still walk, though. He had a plain clothed escort but 2 sheriffes greeted us in Norfolk.

I found this to be rather creepy, a scene right out of Clockwork Orange. Under what circumstances do dangerous convicts become PAX??

 

[ACrazy8]

It was more likely a flight attendant caught out of base, while on duty.....trying to commute. The company just stepped in and gave the flight attendant a "must ride with supervision" to base. And sounds like a pretty good talking to as well! :cop:

(Kidding)......

 

[Doc]

Convicts travel via passenger airplanes every day it's nothing new depending on the convict dangerous one are always in chain...


SOMEWHAT LIKE THE USAIRWAYS EMPLOYEE LOOK UNDER THE PODIUM THEY HAVE CHAINS ON THEM AND UNHOOK THEM FOR 30 MIN LUNCH AND ESCORTED TO BURGER KING AND BACK .............

 

[BostonTerrier]

Or it could be a flight attendant that was mandated to see a "company" doctor after calling out sick on assignment.

Henry,

US accepts prisoners in compliance with FAR 1544.221. Just log on to FAA.gov for the rules. According to procedures at U, only "low risk" prisoners are accepted, and a long list of requirements must be met. However, according to the FA manual, leg irons and shackles are not permitted, and I would suspect that they were removed prior to flight.

Now, if he asked for a nice Chianti and some fava beans, I would be a bit concerned.

 

[iflyjetz]

USHenry, I am by no means anauthority on this issue, but I doubt that the aforementioned prisoner was dangerous.
The reason I say this is that when I was in a desolate Air Force base in west Texas, Con Air landed for a fuel stop. They didn't allow any of the prisoners out of the aircraft, so I'd imagine that dangerous prisoners are transported in this manner. Granted, this was the mid-90s, but I wouldn't think that they'd start allowing dangerous prisoners on passenger flights ... it just sounds too risky.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

The above posters are correct. Dangerous prisoners are hauled around by US Marshalls Service. I believe the aircraft operated by the USMS, not by a private contractor, but I could wrong. Unlike what the movie "ConAir" would have you (not be confused with a Danish charter airline of the same name), ordinary civil type aircraft are used, not "flying boxcar" military transports. These range from 727s to Piper Navajo type GA aircraft. The "hub" for this operation is at OKC, at a holding facility that actually has its own jetways! (Art, next time you want to complain about PHL, just think it could be worse )

Sometimes the escorts are not even armed (this is usually for runaway kids and AWOL military), but it is usually local or state LEO, who are armed. In cases, it is almost always two cops to one prisoner. I cant even think of a time when I have boarded one prisoner with only one escort, except in the above unarmed situations.

 

[smfav8r]

The USMS uses airlines often to transport criminals. Sometimes they will even charter an aircraft from an airline due to overcapacity (of criminals) or their own aircraft are down for mx. They usually charter these aircraft from the non-scheds...ie Ryan, Transmeridian, Sun Country...etc..