A drunk airline passenger from New Jersey who threatened to kill his girlfriend, her three children along with other passengers and the flight crew has been told to repay $98,000 to Hawaiian Airlines after the plane was forced to return to Honolulu because of his behavior.
James August pleaded guilty in February to interfering with flight crew members and flight attendants.
The incident occurred during Hawaiian Airlines Flight 50 which took off from Honolulu International Airport in November.
James August uses a cellphone outside the Honolulu federal courthouse. He says he doesn’t remember what happened on the Hawaiian Airlines flight but doesn’t dispute a prosecutor’s account that his threatening and aggressive behavior forced the flight to turn back
Just a few hours into the 12 hour flight, the pilot decided to turn the plane turned around back to Hawaii in order ‘to ensure the safety of all the passengers.’
But the trouble began even before the flight even left the ground when a crying 11-year-old boy asked a flight attendant ‘can you please just keep him away from us?’ court documents revealed.
August’s girlfriend and her three children also then refused to return to their seats in the same row as him.
During the meal service, the girlfriend’s 16-year-old son told a flight attendant that August called him a derogatory word, insulted the children, and made life-threatening comments.
August will now have to repay close to $100,000 to the airline but not the $47,000 in meal vouchers and re-booking costs he incurred the airline
When the flight attendant asked August to go with her to another part of the plane, he hit punched her hard on the shoulder.
As August continued to yell, swear, and threaten violence, other male passengers then had to step in and restrained him, the FBI said.
A passenger told the FBI that August had consumed alcohol before the flight.
U.S. District Senior Judge Susan Oki Mollway sentenced August in June to three years of probation
She ordered August to repay Hawaiian Airlines the extra costs it incurred for turning its plane around including fuel, maintenance, ground crew, a replacement flight crew, landing fees and re-catering the flight.