![]() Haak was charged in April with intentionally committing a lewd, indecent or obscene act in a public place, a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of 90 days in jail. 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. The judge wasn’t bound by that recommendation. Haak, a resident of Longwood, Florida, was a Southwest Airlines pilot for 27 years until his retirement. His last flight for the Dallas-based airline was on Aug. 31, 2020, three weeks after the incident that led to the criminal charge. A former pilot for Southwest Airlines was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $5,000 for a federal charge of committing "lewd, indecent, or obscene" acts during a flight.Southwest spokesperson Chris Mainz said in a statement that the airline “does not tolerate behavior of this nature and will take prompt action if such conduct is substantiated.” Southwest only learned of Haak’s behavior after he voluntarily left the airline, according to Mainz. Michael Haak, 60, pleaded guilty on Friday to the charge and admitted to watching porn and exposing himself to the female first officer mid-flight. On August 10, 2020, after the plane reached cruising altitude, Haak, of Longwood, Florida, "got out of the pilot's seat, and while still in the cockpit of the plane, intentionally disrobed and viewed pornographic media on a laptop computer," according to federal prosecutors in Maryland. ![]() The statement from the Department of Justice added that "Haak further engaged in inappropriate conduct in the cockpit" while the first officer continued her in-flight duties. He and the first officer had never met prior to the flight. The flight was traveling from Philadelphia International Airport to Orlando International Airport. Southwest Airlines spokesman Chris Mainz told Newsweek, "Southwest only learned of the alleged behavior after Mr. Nonetheless, Southwest did investigate the matter and as a result, ceased paying Mr.Haak any benefits he was entitled to receive as a result of his separation from The Company." Haak voluntarily separated from Southwest Airlines. The incident is not the only challenge that Southwest Airlines has faced recently. Mainz told CNN that the passenger was "repeatedly" ignoring standard in-flight procedures, such as tray tables and seatbelts, "and became verbally and physically abusive upon landing." On May 23, a Southwest flight attendant was struck in the face by a passenger, identified as Vyvianna Quinonez, on a flight from Sacramento to San Diego. Senators Urge Airlines to Scrap Expiration Dates on Flight Credit.Family Denied Entry onto Flight Because Son with Autism Wouldn't Wear Mask.Disabled Man Kicked Off Southwest Flight Over Mask Despite Doctor's Notes. ![]()
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