Duct Tape Used By Airline Crew to Restrain Passenger

At first glance, duct tape certainly does not inspire the story that follows. After reading this article, it turns out that a United Airlines flight from Puerto Rico to Chicago had more than they bargained for in the way of drama. Maria Esther Castillo, a native of Oswego, NY, was restrained with duct tape to her chair after fighting and grabbing at the flight attendants and passengers. Castillo hit a flight attendant on the buttocks, and then proceeded to fall on a blind man's head and pull his hair, after falling from her stance standing on the seats. 

The situation apparently became so out of control that the flight was forced to land early in North Carolina.  While ankle cuffs were attempted to restrain Castillo, they did not hold. Flight attendants were forced to use duct tape to hold her to the seat until landing. Witnesses claim to have seen her drinking at an airport bar, and flight attendants served her another drink on the flight. Do you think that there should be limits to how many drinks you are served on an airplane or at the airport?

Castillo is being charged with resisting arrest and interfering with the operations of a flight crew, and is due to court for her arraignment today. Certainly it appears Castillo had one too many drinks. Not to mention the airport isn't exactly a club. No doubt the airline will be more cautious in serving alcoholic beverages to its passengers in the future, and we can only hope that Castillo will be just as cautious as well. Do you think that the use of duct tape was warranted by flight attendants? 

 

To read more, see original article at: 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/05/passenger.duct.tape.ap/index.html