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American Morning

Federal Court Appearance for Man Charged with Busting into Cockpit

Aired February 08, 2002 - 10:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A federal court appearance for the man charged with busting into the cockpit of yesterday's United Airline's flight.

Gary Tuchman in Miami this morning, bringing us up to date on what the FBI is doing.

Good morning.

Court appearance later today?

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, yes indeed. 1:30 Eastern Time in federal court before a federal magistrate judge. It's called a first appearance. He won't make a plea. What he will do is be appointed an attorney if he doesn't already have one. His name is Pablo Moreira, 28 years old, from Montavadeo (ph), Uruguay.

As we speak, he is in a Miami hospital getting examined for an axe wound to his head, a wound he receiving after allegedly terrifying 157 passengers and crew members going from Miami to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He was brought back on another United flight, sitting in the back of the plane with two security guards, two state personnel. We don't know if the passengers were aware he was in the back or not. Two hours later brought to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where it did not appear to us, as we were looking at him, that we saw any serious head wound. However, we were 60 feet away, and they wanted to do it as precaution.

The deal, as you now, is this, Pablo Moreira, we are told, according to authorities, there is no evidence that he was involved in terrorism. There is evidence, according to some of the passengers who were aboard the plane, that he had been drinking on the flight, drinking beforehand.

A brother tells police in Argentina that his brother was a very fearful flying, that he did not like turbulence. The inference being that he was going to tell the pilot about that, and that's why he ran up the aisle, saying I want to speak to the pilot, and then starting trying to kick the door in, according to passengers, kung fu style. Obviously, that's not the way to go about doing that if that indeed is true. We are told, according to police in Argentina, that he issued this quote after he was apprehended. He said -- quote -- for four days, I was enclosed, and then I went to the moon. Obviously, we don't know what that means either. But that's information that may come out during today's court hearing.

Now one passenger on the plane, while this man was being subdued for four hours after the incident actually talked to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IAN ROVER, FLIGHT 855 PASSENGER: He wasn't at all clear on that. You know, I mentioned to him that I had spent my life thinking about international economic relations and how September 11th had effected that. And was this due to any of this at all? The only thing he mentioned to me is things are different now. When I sought to inquire a little bit more, he became more introspective. So our conversations were short of short encounters, verbal encounterers, in Spanish and English, talking about a variety of subjects, but none of which he ever mentioned any motives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: The charge is interference with a flight crew. If he was to be found guilty of the charge, a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Bill, back to you.

HEMMER: Gary thanks. Gary Tuchman live in Miami.

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