WestJet bans N.L. woman for life

[A Regulator]

WestJet bans N.L. woman for life
Her behaviour forced plane to make an emergency landing
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 | 12:11 PM CST Comments8Recommend17.CBC News
A woman arrested after forcing a WestJet flight to make an emergency landing in Winnipeg last month pleaded guilty Wednesday to criminal mischief.

Barbara Morton, 47, also pleaded guilty in a Winnipeg courtroom to a single charge under the national Aeronautics Act for not following the directions of an airline cabin crew.

Morton struggled through tears to say, "yes" when asked by Judge Dale Schille in provincial court if she understood the charges against her and the ramification of her guilty pleas.

A WestJet plane with 131 people on board was headed to Halifax from Calgary when Morton, from St. John's, N.L., tried to open a door to the outside in mid-flight.

Court was told that an hour into the flight, Morton told a flight attendant, "I need morphine now, I'm on major withdrawal. I'm going to open that … door, I'm getting off."

Defence lawyer Greg Hawrysh said Morton was in Calgary to take her 13-year-old son to a special clinic for those with Tourette's syndrome. He will remain there for nine months.

About two days before the flight home to Halifax, Morton, who suffers from panic attacks, lost her OxyContin pills.

"Accidentally, they had fallen down the toilet," Hawrysh told court.

Made dash for door
While on the flight, Morton made a dash for one of the exit doors and attempted to open it.

Three flight attendants and several passengers tackled her. During the struggle, she bit a 77-year-old man and kicked an airline employee in the face, court was told.

Morton was eventually subdued and restrained in her seat with plastic ties.

She was arrested and charged with mischief, assault, endangering the safety of an aircraft and failing to comply with instruction of the cabin crew.

The assault charges were stayed by Crown prosecutor John Peden Wednesday in exchange for Morton's guilty plea on the other charges.

Court heard that Morton was on probation at the time for an assault and theft that took place in St. John's.

Passengers stranded
Court heard Wednesday that the diverted flight cost WestJet $6,202 for things like additional fuel, landing fees and to put passengers who missed connecting flights up in hotels.

Morton, who has been in police custody since her arrest, was sentenced to 97 days behind bars.

She has already served 37 days.

Once released, she will be on probation for three years and was ordered to get counselling.

WestJet has barred her from all flights for the rest of her life, court heard.

She will also have to reimburse WestJet for the costs of the diverted flight.

Morton has been in isolation at the Winnipeg Remand Centre since her arrest. Guards at the facility are concerned for her safety should she be moved to general population because of her slight size, Hawrysh said.

Doctors at the facility have refused to give her an OxyContin prescription.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story ... z0wK2Njjcb

[Tim]

i feel bad for the lady, sounds like shes got some problems, maybe even a serious addiction (oxycontin for anxiety???)...but shes got no business being in an aircraft.

[Inverted2]

Maybe she should stay for tourettes syndrome treatment as well?

Dropping your hillbilly heroin down the toilet = Fail!

[altiplano]

-

[wilton]

Pay for the cost of the diversion.........ouch!

[Castorero]

Poor woman, Oxycontin, or any other narcotic addiction withdrawal, is not a fun state to be in, especially at altitude cabin pressure. It likely exacerbated her incipient loopiness.
Nonetheless, I think she got the right sentence out of the ordeal. At least, in future, the bus driver can just pull over and let her out.

You know, we often blame the patients for their addictions, but when it comes to prescription drugs like Oxycontin, I lay the blame squarely at the feet of the MD who is supplying her on a regular basis.
Very few people require ongoing Opiate maintenance for legit reasons.
I read some time back that this is a widespread problem in NF in particular, and it is a damn shame really. Time that these people see the light and start suing these malpracticant Doctors. They are not doing their patients any favors by being enablers.
In the 1960's and '70, this woman would have been on Valium.

That's my view, a bit harsh, I know.

[DeuceEng]

Poor woman, Oxycontin, or any other narcotic addiction withdrawal, is not a fun state to be in, especially at altitude cabin pressure. It likely exacerbated her incipient loopiness.
Nonetheless, I think she got the right sentence out of the ordeal. At least, in future, the bus driver can just pull over and let her out.

You know, we often blame the patients for their addictions, but when it comes to prescription drugs like Oxycontin, I lay the blame squarely at the feet of the MD who is supplying her on a regular basis.
Very few people require ongoing Opiate maintenance for legit reasons.
I read some time back that this is a widespread problem in NF in particular, and it is a damn shame really. Time that these people see the light and start suing these malpracticant Doctors. They are not doing their patients any favors by being enablers.
In the 1960's and '70, this woman would have been on Valium.

That's my view, a bit harsh, I know.

I worked as a pharmacy technician for 7 years and you are bang on with your assessment. Doctors have too much power to prescribe narcotic medications - particular GPs. Addiction is a disease (I realize that it is self induced) and is tough to overcome - even if you stop doing the drug, the reason why you started doing drugs may still be there.

However, we should not excuse her from responsibility and, like the above person said, she got the right sentence. Luckily for her and others on that plane she was restrained from creating a hazardous situation.

[Castorero]

Don't get me wrong, I dont have a problem with a Doctor's scope of work or power to prescribe. Somebody needs to do it, and in my view they are the best trained and qualified to do it.
Parmacists think that they should be able to, but they lack the training in Diagnosis, Pathology and Disease,etc
They can be a great help in co-managing complex medication regimens with all the associated drug interaction and so on, but they cannot treat.

You would not want your next door neighbor or mailman prescribing meds, of course not, however, there are far too many Docs who are nice people, and who are too free with the Rx Pad.
Time constraints are certainly at the top of the blame list, far quicker to hand out a script than to spend the time to really help somebody out with counselling or what have you.
I dont want to give the impression that I think the whole profession behaves this way, far from it.
We all know many competent and caring Docs that do take the time, that are curious and want to get to the bottom of whatever ails you.

These Docs should be cherished and nurtured when you find one, because they are worth their weight in gold, and will likely save your life given half a chance.

Unfortunately, as with any group there are those who become jaded, who are lazy, who simply do not care, and see you as a meal ticket.

We should run when we are fortunate to realize who these people are, and I also think that they should be reported to their licensing bodies so that they do not continue to do harm to our relatives, friends and neighbors.

That poor woman on the Westjet flight caused a lot of distress to the other passengers, never mind the cabin crew and pilots, who are responsible for the safety of all on board. Some of those people may very well suffer anxiety or worse as a result.
Some may need counselling, some may require the odd sleeping potion for a short period, but none should be started on a drug to be used longterm, and that may lead to an addiction, just like the woman in question.

The Docs need to remain vigilant that this does not happen to their patients.

[lot lizard]

Back to the topic gang, she was lucky to get away with that sentence.
I hope we wont have to do psych testing at security now. Good for Westjet for careAnteeing that she will never fly with them again. Well done to the crew.

[BTD]

Don't get me wrong, I dont have a problem with a Doctor's scope of work or power to prescribe. Somebody needs to do it, and in my view they are the best trained and qualified to do it.
Parmacists think that they should be able to, but they lack the training in Diagnosis, Pathology and Disease,etc
They can be a great help in co-managing complex medication regimens with all the associated drug interaction and so on, but they cannot treat.

.....

Your post reminded me of this clip... 30s in.

http://fliiby.com/file/132144/ay0fjcdh9o.html

[atpilot]

Maybe it was the bad jokes that drove her to the edge

[niss]

I think paying for the diversion is a bit excessive assuming her withdrawal was a factor.

[OceansEdge]

Not excessive at all - standard in cases like these

The Irishman on his way to LA for a job interview, caused a diversion to Winnipeg, also prescribed drug (mixed with alcohol - bad idea) induced.... lots of cases of this sort of thing, and there's always one reason or another. Mentally stable unadulterated people don't behave this way.

That doesn't mean they're not responsible for their actions.
(yes there's a difference between insanity and 'no criminally responsible')

But the criminal charge, fine, and finding for cost are fairly standard repercussions throughout the world (if you're lucky and they don't flog you for public drunkenness like Singapore). And I mean we really can't be expecting in-flight crews to diagnose and treat mental illness can we?

Besides - apparently NO ONE ever collects on these fines and costs anyway *sigh*

[wilton]

EDITED

[MUSKEG]

Oh she tried to open the door and some of you buy in that she could. Not a snowballs chance in hell that she would be able to do that. There was not enough manpower on the flight to overcome the massive forces of pressurization. This world is full of dumb people who refuse to stop and think things through. The door story by the media is almost as loopy as the pax was. Gene pool is getting pretty shallow. We just keep allowing people to dumb it down to the lowest comon denominator.

[Main Gear]

EDITED

Stupid like Sean Durfy I guess.

[niss]

EDITED

[DeuceEng]

Oh she tried to open the door and some of you buy in that she could. Not a snowballs chance in hell that she would be able to do that. There was not enough manpower on the flight to overcome the massive forces of pressurization. This world is full of dumb people who refuse to stop and think things through. The door story by the media is almost as loopy as the pax was. Gene pool is getting pretty shallow. We just keep allowing people to dumb it down to the lowest comon denominator.

Well, I think that most people would not have known how doors on aircraft work - not because they are the lowest common denominators, but because they simply do not know. If you've never studied anything about aircraft, about science and physics, how would you know that aircraft doors have to be pulled inside first before they can open? I can understand how a lot of people on that flight would have been terrified for their lives seeing a woman reach and try open the door.

That being said, the woman could have very well created a serious emergency if she went on with her tirade. Regardless of her goal - she presented a serious risk to the safety of the aircraft.

[Liquid Charlie]

What gets me is that the passengers were involved -- guess 9/11 took care of that -- the old fart - I can see him advancing with his walker -- lmfaooooooo --

We and I mean the royal we - all know the door won't open -- I'm not sure if the "trained" professionals in the back were 100% positive because they chose to go "smack down" on this with passenger -- most of us would have sat back -- contained the situation and let her yank on that door until she subdued herself from exhaustion -- then had our way with her tie raps and all --

It just points out one thing to me that even post 9/11 they are not preparing cabin crew to deal with this - it's still "show me your weapon". -- @#$! -- it's 30 years out dated -- tazers for everyone -- last man standing gets a free pass to anywhere you fly -- one way

[sakism]

I am confused as to how she has to pay for the cost of diversion.

How can the Criminal court make a ruling that is a Civil matter between an individual and a business?

[OceansEdge]

I am confused as to how she has to pay for the cost of diversion.

How can the Criminal court make a ruling that is a Civil matter between an individual and a business?

Reading the news article again - it would appear that making restitution is part of the conditions of her probation ... which makes sense. Criminal courts have done this before - cases of theft, or of property damage often include clauses of making restitution as part of the conditions of probation.

[AME 283]

Wow she got more from Westjet than most criminals get for "murder" Myabe we should put west jet in charge of our court system

[Widow]

I'm sorry, but if she was detoxing from Oxy, shouldn't she (or someone) have informed the crew before take-off? Was she travelling alone?

If anyone has any "inside info", please PM.

[A Regulator]

More from a follow-up in todays paper


WestJet staff were warned woman wanted to open door
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 | 11:19 AM CST Comments69Recommend28.CBC News
The husband of the woman who tried to open one of the exit doors on a WestJet flight from Calgary to Halifax in July says flight attendants could have prevented the incident.

Mike Fitzpatrick told CBC News that he warned a flight attendant that 47-year-old Barbara Morton, who was reportedly suffering from OxyContin withdrawal, was threatening to open one of the plane's doors mid-flight.

He said they should have restrained her then.

'When she woke up, she was very erratic, saying very erratic things.'
—Mike Fitzpatrick, husband of arrested passenger"They could have posted somebody on guard by her seat, and if she attempted to get up, they could have restrained her with those twist ties," said Fitzpatrick, referring to the plastic restraints sometimes used by police in lieu of handcuffs.

Fitzpatrick said Morton had been prescribed OxyContin for pain associated with the autoimmune disease lupus but had stopped taking the drug a couple of days prior to the flight.

On the plane after a nap, Fitzpatrick said, his wife started showing signs of withdrawal.

"When she woke up, she was very erratic, saying very erratic things," he said.

Fitzpatrick attempted to restrain Morton but thought grabbing her could have been perceived as assault.

"There were just the two of us sitting there," he said. "If I had all of a sudden grabbed a hold of her and wrestled her to the floor, that could have been taken the wrong way — as an assault or something also."

Passengers scared
He said fellow passengers started to look scared as he attempted to calm Morton.

"I think about this young girl that sat in row three, and I looked at her, and I see her crying," said Fitzpatrick. "And I say, 'I'm sorry sweetheart'."

Morton eventually dashed to one of the exit doors and attempted to open it.

Three flight attendants and several passengers tackled her.

'I think about this young girl that sat in row three, and I looked at her and I see her crying. And I say 'I'm sorry sweetheart,''
—Mike FitzpatrickMorton bit a 77-year-old man and kicked an airline employee in the face during the struggle, a court heard in early August.

Because of Morton's actions, the 131-passenger flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Winnipeg.

The St. John's, N.L., woman was arrested and charged with mischief, assault, endangering the safety of an aircraft and failing to comply with instruction of the cabin crew.

She is now serving a 60-day sentence at the Winnipeg Remand Centre.

Once released, she will be on probation for three years and was ordered to get counselling. She cannot get on any aircraft unless cleared to do so by a doctor.

According to court documents, WestJet has banned her from all flights for the rest of her life.

WestJet declined comment


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story ... z0x1KNLDFv

[C-FABH]

She cannot get on any aircraft unless cleared to do so by a doctor.

I would contest that statement. No major carriers are allowed to share information regarding banned passengers amongst each other as that would constitute a privacy violation.