He was charged in Maryland because it was one of the states that the aircraft passed over that day.įederal prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of probation without requiring Haak to register as a sex offender. Haak was charged in April with intentionally committing a lewd, indecent or obscene act in a public place, a misdemeanour punishable by a maximum of 90 days in jail. “She had a right not to be subjected to this kind of behaviour, regardless of what may have motivated it or prompted it,” the prosecutor said. “This is not the kind of aberrant behaviour that anyone should accept,” the prosecutor added.Ĭunningham said the first officer “unfortunately suffered some consequences” as a result of the incident that Haak “didn’t have anything to do with,” but he didn’t elaborate. Haak “had a duty to comport himself in a much more responsible manner,” Assistant US Attorney Michael Cunningham said. The judge told Haak that his actions had a traumatic effect on the co-pilot and could have impacted the safety of passengers and other co-workers. The first officer submitted a statement to the court but didn’t speak during Friday's hearing. “As the plane continued its flight, Haak further engaged in inappropriate conduct in the cockpit, as the first officer continued to perform her duties as an assigned aircrew member,” the statement says.
* Woman stopped from boarding plane in the US because of 'lewd, obscene and offensive' top * US pilot faces investigation after swear-filled rant is recorded * US airline bans woman accused of assaulting flight attendant After the plane reached its cruising altitude, Haak got out of the pilot’s seat, “disrobed” and began watching pornographic material on a laptop computer in the cockpit, prosecutors said. Haak any benefits he was entitled to receive as a result of his separation from (the airline)," the spokesperson added.Michael Haak had been a pilot with Southwest Airlines for 27 years until his retirement.įederal prosecutors said in a news release that Haak had never met the first officer before that flight bound for Orlando on August 10, 2020. "Nonetheless, Southwest did investigate the matter and as a result, ceased paying Mr. He retired at the end of August last year.Ī spokesperson for Southwest Airlines told USA Today that the airline "does not tolerate behavior of this nature and will take prompt action if such conduct is substantiated." Haak, who is originally from Florida, was a pilot with Southwest Airlines for 27 years. "I never imagined it would turn into this in a thousand years," he added.
Haak apologized for his actions and said they had "started as a consensual prank between me and the other pilot," the BBC reported. Coulson said the ex- pilot's actions had traumatized the first officer. Judge J Mark Coulson sentenced Haak to one year of unsupervised probation and a $5,000 fine. Read more: Can you work remotely? These 14 cities and towns will pay you up to $20,000 just to move there. Haak had never met the female first officer before the flight. "Haak further engaged in inappropriate conduct in the cockpit, as the first officer continued to perform her duties," prosecutors said in a statement, according to the BBC. Prosecutors alleged that Michael Haak, 66, waited until the flight reached cruising altitude before he got up from the pilot's seat and "intentionally disrobed" while watching porn on a laptop, USA Today reported. See more stories on Insider's business page.Ī retired Southwest Airlines pilot was sentenced to probation on Friday after pleading guilty to showing his genitals to a female first officer and watching pornography during a flight from Philadelphia to Florida last year. Haak expressed remorse for his actions before being sentenced to one year's probation. Michael Haak exposed his genitals to a first officer and watched porn in the cockpit, prosecutors said. A retired Southwest Airlines pilot admitted to performing lewd acts during a flight last year.
0 kommentar(er)
