You are reading

Irishman Causes Mayhem on Flight Into JFK, Moons Flight Crew and Throws Empty Can at Passenger: Feds

Shane McInerney, an Irish soccer coach (L) was arrested for causing mayhem on a Delta flight into J.F.K Airport on Jan. 7. Also pictured is a Delta Airlines plane landing at J.F.K. Airport in 2017 (Photos: Twitter via @McinerneyShane and Quintin Soloviev via Wikipedia)

Jan. 27, 2022 Staff Report

An unruly Irishman who caused havoc on a flight into J.F.K. Airport — including mooning flight attendants and throwing a beverage can at another passenger — has been hit with a felony charge in Brooklyn federal court.

Shane McInerney, 29, was busted for interfering with a flight crew’s duties as well as intentionally assaulting and intimidating a member of a Delta flight crew on Jan. 7 onboard a flight from Dublin, according to recently unsealed federal court documents.

McInerney, a soccer coach from Galway, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

According to the charges, McInerney refused “dozens of requests” from the flight crew to wear a mask on the plane and allegedly created numerous other disturbances including throwing an empty beverage can which hit a passenger in the head and kicking another passenger’s chair.

At one point during the eight-hour flight, McInerney, who had an economy class seat, stormed into the first class cabin to complain about the food he had been served. When a flight attendant escorted him back to his seat, he pulled down his pants and underwear to expose his buttocks to the flight attendant and other passengers.

In another incident, the flight captain tried to restore order in the cabin only for McInerney to allegedly whip off his own cap and place it on the flight captain’s head. He then raised one of his fists to the captain and said: “Don’t touch me,” according to the court documents.

McInerney also refused to remain seated on the final approach to J.F.K.’s runway when all passengers and flight crew were buckled into their seats. He stood up, entered the aisle and refused to sit back down, prosecutors said.

At least one passenger considered McInerney’s menacing behavior to be “scary,” while the flight crew considered diverting the plane to another airport to remove him from the Delta plane, prosecutors said.

McInerney was admitted to Jamaica Hospital for medical and psychological evaluation after the flight landed in J.F.K. He had been en route to Florida to take up a new coaching job teaching soccer at an academy in Daytona, according to prosecutors.

He was arraigned on Jan. 14 in Brooklyn federal court and released on $20,000 bail. He was also ordered by the judge to seek mental health care, according to reports.

McInerney played as a kicker for Peru State College’s American football team last year, scoring nine out of nine field goals, according to published reports.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
MRLIC

You can’ t be soft on people who do these things . He os a danger tonthe passengers and crew.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Adams breaks ground on major renovation of Queens Public Library’s Hollis Library

Oct. 25, 2024 By Nelson A. King

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Queens Public Library (QPL) President Dennis M. Walcott, and New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley on Friday broke ground on a $7.4 million project that will completely modernize the interior of the Hollis Library QPL branch with new reading rooms, more space for computers, and additional features for visitors and staff.

LaGuardia crowned best airport in United States by Forbes Travel Guide following $8 billion transformation

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey proudly announced on Oct. 22 that Forbes Travel Guide selected LaGuardia Airport as the best airport in the United States a decade after then-Vice President Joe Biden likened the transportation hub to one that would be found in a third-world nation in a speech lamenting the state of infrastructure in America.

Forbes released its first Verified Air Travel Awards based on a survey of 5,000 hospitality and travel experts and the guide’s most well-traveled fliers. The recognition is the latest in a long list of accolades given to LaGuardia throughout the course of the airport’s historic $8 billion transformation.