"Traveler accused of punching out window in midflight"

Friday, October 14, 2005

Traveler accused of punching out window in midflight 
The Associated Press


TAMPA, Fla. - A passenger punched out the interior pane of an airplane
window on an American West flight from Las Vegas to Florida, authorities
said.

Ryan J. Marchione, 24, shattered the inner plastic shield covering the glass
window and disconnected its frame about 90 minutes into the flight,
according to an FBI affidavit. The outer window was not damaged and the
plane did not depressurize, the airline said.

Marchione was arrested when the plane landed Wednesday at Tampa
International Airport. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison if
convicted of a charge of damaging or destroying an aircraft while it was
operating.  

About 90 minutes after the plane departed, Marchione "woke abruptly from his
sleep and turned to the passenger seated in 7B ... raised a clenched fist to
his shoulder as if he was going to strike the passenger in 7B, then suddenly
turned and struck the exterior window," the affidavit said.

"It appears to have come out of nowhere," said Marchione's attorney, Thomas
Ostrander. "Perhaps it was some sort of a psychotic episode as a result of
drug abuse."

Marchione was released on $25,000 bail to home detention with electronic
monitoring.


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