Passenger ‘Choked’ and ‘Attacked’ Frontier Flight Attendants After Takeoff

The U.S. Justice Department reported an incident on regarding a Frontier Airlines flight this past Monday where a man allegedly assaulted multiple crew members shortly after takeoff. The suspect is facing a significant time in jail if convicted.

A Fight Over Oxygen Masks

The Justice Department has identified the suspect as Charles Angel Salva, 30, from Fremont, California. Eyewitness reports state Salva was flying back home after spending a weekend trip with his three-year-old daughter at Disneyland.

The incident with Salva took place on a flight from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana to San Francisco International Airport. Before the aircraft could reach 10,000 feet in the air, flight attendants noticed oxygen masks were being used from the overhead compartment in one of the rows inside the passenger cabin. The attendants found out Salva took a mask.

A passenger claimed to law enforcement that Salva was afraid to fly, appearing claustrophobic. The passenger witnessed him pulling the mask down from the overhead compartment. Salva's hand got stuck trying to pull down the mask, but another passenger helped him get free.

After being confronted by flight attendants, anxiety got the better of Salva, and which he proceeded to scream obscenities at the crew and shout "This airplane is going down!" and "We are all going to hell!". Salva then got physical, putting his hands on other passengers, and moved towards the back of the airplane's cabin.

Attendants pursued Salva, though as they got close to him, Salva got his hands around one of their necks, leaving behind "two small marks".

The affidavit continues that Salva made additional threats to the crew and pushed another flight attendant. A group of passengers and attendants had to help restrain Salva, as he broke out of zip tie handcuffs. While many individuals attempted to restrain Salva with a seatbelt, he kicked one attendant six times in the leg, causing it to swell and form a bruise.

The flight had to be diverted to Ontario International Airport as the crew felt Salva needed to be removed from the flight.

According to FlightRadar24, the scuffle took place on an Airbus A320. The aircraft took off at 5:27 p.m. before landing in Ontario over an hour later. Due to the incident, the passengers and crew had to be assigned to another plane — an Airbus A320 Neo- and endured a lengthy four-hour wait. The next flight made it to San Francisco the next day at around 1:19 a.m.

Due to Salva's actions, the two flights required seven hours and 52 minutes to fly from Santa Ana to San Francisco. According to Google, driving between the two cities takes six hours and 52 minutes.

The Aftermath

Salva was arrested and escorted off the plane at Ontario airport, before being transported to a local hospital. The flight attendant who was attacked by Salva, also needed medical attention for the swollen and bruised leg.

Frontier Airlines stated Fox News Digital following the incident:

"We extend our utmost appreciation to the flight crew for their professionalism and to the other passengers who assisted during the incident, as well as local and federal law enforcement, and the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, for their efforts to ensure justice."

On Thursday, Salva had been charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants. If convicted, Salva would be facing a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

During an interview with police, Salvo allegedly confessed that he molested his daughter and had since been stripped of his custody rights.

The FBI and Ontario Police Department have launched an investigation into the Frontier Airlines flight.