Woman, 43, ‘attacked two stewardesses and got so drunk she forced pilot to return to Heathrow’
Michelle Vanbuskirk was charged with several offences including drunkenly attacking cabin crew members on board a transatlantic United Airlines flight
An American woman accused of being so drunk on a transatlantic flight that the pilot was forced to land the plane appeared in court today.
Michelle Vanbuskirk, 43, is also charged with assaulting two female flight attendants on board a United Airlines flight from London Heathrow to Washington DC in September.
The ginger-haired defendant of Camden, north London, appeared on bail at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court wearing a black blazer, trousers and heeled boots.
Vanbuskirk is charged with being drunk on an aircraft, two counts of assaulting cabin crew Porsha Chaplian and Emily Menninger by beating and a public disorder offence.
A fifth charge of intentionally interfering with the performance of a member of air crew was withdrawn at the request of the prosecution.
Vanbuskirk did not enter any pleas and the case was sent to Crown Court at her request.
Lauren Smith, prosecuting, said: "The flight had to be diverted back to London Heathrow, causing £4,000 worth of fuel to be discarded for the flight to land back at Heathrow."
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Vanbuskirk was arrested at Heathrow after the flight was turned back as it passed over Ireland about an hour into the journey.
She was released on conditional bail to appear at Isleworth Crown Court next month.
She was also ordered to surrender her passport to police and not apply for any travel documents.
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