FBI: 'Enraged' Flier Pelts Crew With Peanuts

CNN ^ | July 15, 2011 | A. Pawlowski

[nickcarraway]

An airline passenger is accused of assaulting and intimidating flight attendants after he allegedly become furious when he was asked to put away his electronic cigarette.

The incident happened Monday on a Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, according to a complaint filed this week in U.S. District Court in Utah. During the boarding process, Pogos Paul Sefilian brought out an electronic cigarette and began to smoke it on board, court papers say.

Electronic cigarettes look like the real thing, but they're actually battery-operated devices that turn nicotine into a vapor that is inhaled by the user, according to the FDA.

When a flight attendant told Sefilian that the electronic cigarette was not allowed on board, he argued with her but put the device away, according to the complaint. But not for long.

Sefilian took the e-cigarette out after takeoff and began to smoke it again, prompting the flight attendant to again ask him to put it away, court papers say.

"This enraged Sefilian and he began to loudly argue with the flight attendant," according to the complaint. "Later in the flight, he began to throw peanuts and pretzels at the flight attendant and towards the flight deck door."

[SUSSA]

Yeah, throwing peanuts was stupid. As to explaining that it is unsafe to stand and open the overheads, stews used to do just that. Of course that was back when airlines treated passengers like customers rather than as prisoners.

[ViLaLuz]

OMG, what if the stewardess was allergic to peanuts!

[MinuteGal]

Let's get down to peanuts here rather than battery-operated cigarettes.

The name "Sefilian" has Armenian roots. There are also Syrians and Lebanese with this name.

He apparently is a non-citizen of this country. Authorities have confiscated his passport and are holding it while charges are pending. His country of origin is not yet revealed.

Leni