Woman pleads not guilty in case involving flight diverted to Phoenix after alleged slurs

A New York woman charged in an incident where a flight was diverted to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after the use of racial slurs reportedly spurred a mile-high argument has pleaded not guilty.

A federal grand jury indicted Kelly Pichardo of the Bronx, New York, on June 29 for an incident that happened on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Los Angeles on Feb. 24. Pichardo made her first court appearance by telephone July 21. 

According to Phoenix police who investigated the incident, witnesses told officers that Pichardo and another passenger, Leeza S. Rodriguez, also of the Bronx, New York, were using racial slurs when a male passenger asked them to stop using that language.

The witnesses alleged that Pichardo became upset and spit at the passenger who had asked her to stop.

The man reportedly started filming the incident on his cellphone. That's when police allege Rodriguez struck his hand to stop him from recording. 

A federal grand jury charged each woman with one count of interfering with a flight crew and one count of simple assault.

American Airlines placed both women on its internal refuse list. 

Airplane brawl:Fist fight breaks out as passengers get off plane in Phoenix

The number of unruly passengers is  growing

The Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Justice have stepped up their prosecution of cases involving unruly passengers as the number of incidents has grown this year.

The FAA adopted a zero tolerance policy in January and released new figures about the number of unruly passengers on flights. Since Jan. 1, the agency has received 3,509 reports of unruly passengers, most related to refusing to wear a mask. 

The FAA can impose civil fines of up to $37,000. So far, the agency has assessed penalties in 87 cases this year. 

In some cases, unruly passengers can also face criminal charges from the Department of Justice. Those criminally charged with interfering with a flight crew member can face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted. 

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You can connect with Arizona Republic Consumer Travel Reporter Melissa Yeager through email at melissa.yeager@azcentral.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram. 

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