FLIGHTMARE

Delta Flight Forced to Land After Passenger Accused of Disgusting Act

What began as a routine cross-country flight ended with federal charges.

A Delta Air Lines flight was forced to make an unscheduled landing after a passenger allegedly slapped a flight attendant on the rear when she inadvertently skipped his drinks order. Federal prosecutors say the flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Los Angeles was forced to land in Atlanta after Cody James Maluck, 32, allegedly slapped a flight attendant on the bottom hard enough to move her body forward. According to a federal complaint reviewed by The Independent, the attendant skipped Maluck during beverage service because he appeared to be asleep. Moments later, she “felt a slap to her buttocks area with sufficient force to cause her body to move forward,” the complaint says. She turned around to see Maluck raising his hands and saying words to the effect of, “I didn’t do anything.” Another flight attendant told investigators she heard a yell and saw her colleague lurch forward “as if she had been struck or pushed.” The pilot diverted the aircraft to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where Atlanta police met the plane and detained Maluck. The FBI later took over the investigation. Maluck allegedly admitted he touched the attendant’s buttocks but denied striking her hard enough to move her forward.