Woman fined £34,000 after spitting on passenger and using emergency exit slide to get off plane

Cynthia McKnight was convicted after pleading guilty to two counts of simple assault

The woman also argued with a passenger and spat at them (Getty Images)

An American Airlines passenger has been sentenced after refusing to get off her phone, pushing a flight attendant and exiting the plane using the emergency slide.

The incident happened during a flight from Buffalo, New York to Chicago on 19 April 2022.

The female passenger has now been convicted of simple assault, according to a statement released on 26 May by the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.

Cynthia McKnight was sentenced to time served and three years’ probation after pleading guilty to two counts of simple assault.

According to court documents, when the doors were closed and the aircraft was ready to depart, Ms McKnight refused to stop using her phone after flight attendants requested she do so. This then resulted in Ms McKnight becoming “irate”.

She began arguing with a passenger and started spitting on them, and is accused of getting her phone out to record the situation.

Court documents state that it then occurred to Ms McKnight that she was “going to be in trouble”, and in a bid to leave the plane, she pushed a flight attendant.

Despite the plane being in motion, she opened the aircraft door, activating the emergency slide, which she then used to exit.

As the emergency slide had been activated, American Airlines were forced to terminate the flight for safety reasons. The aircraft was returned to the gate, meaning that other passengers had to rearrange their journeys.

After exiting down the emergency slide and attempting to run away, Ms McKnight was detained by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and airport officials.

After being apprehended, she told officials she was under the influence of alcohol.

As the incident unfolded, fellow passenger and Buffalo Bills player Spencer Brown tweeted: “Sitting on a plane. A lady is pissed. Lady pulls the emergency inflatable slide to escape the plane. Lady is running wild through the tarmac currently. Cops have arrived. Flight ruined. Memories made. Noice.”

Ms McKnight said that she “was upset that the flight was delayed, and she wanted to get off.” The affidavit also states that the reason she spat on a fellow passenger was because they were filming her.

Ms McKnight agreed to pay $42,128 (£34,073) in restitution as part of her sentencing and plea agreement.

The Independent has contacted American Airlines for comment.