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CNN Live At Daybreak

Cockpit Attacker Was Drunk, Passengers Say

Aired February 08, 2002 - 06:01   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk more about that air rage incident right now though. We want to go live to Miami for the latest on the passenger who tried to kick in the cockpit door of the United jet. As you know, the man is now back in Miami.

Our national correspondent Gary Tuchman is also there, and he joins us live from FBI headquarters. What can you tell us?

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Carol. For the passengers aboard United Airlines flight 855 from Miami to Buenos Aires, most of whom were sleeping, it seemed like a bad dream. Awakened from their slumber, they saw a man kicking "karate" style the cockpit door, breaking the bottom of the door, sticking his head through the door, and it only ended when the copilot took an ax inside the cabin and whacked him over the head.

And that man Pablo Moreira, here in north Miami Beach, Florida at FBI headquarters under arrest. About one hour ago, he arrived here under escort. He went inside the building. There were no visible wounds that we saw on top of his head, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have them. We were kept at a distance, but he's now under arrest, charged with interfering with a flight crew. He's going to be brought to court this afternoon for an initial hearing.

He was actually brought back to the United States on another commercial flight, United Airline flight 854 from Buenos Aires to Miami this morning. He was actually put in the back row and flew with all the other passengers for the nine-hour flight coming back. It was Wednesday night, 11:55 p.m. when the initial flight left Miami, nine- hour flight, 4,404 miles from Miami to Buenos Aires, about halfway through the flight this man allegedly got up from his seat, started trying to break into the door.

We are told by passengers that he said he wanted to see the captain. We're also told by his brother in Argentina that his brother gets very upset at turbulence and perhaps that's why he wanted to see the captain. Either way, though, it's a very serious issue, especially considering September 11.

With us right now, an FBI spokeswoman here in Miami, Judy Orihuela. Judy, thanks for joining us.

JUDY ORIHUELA, FBI: Thank you. TUCHMAN: First of all, that man's inside the building right now, talking to FBI agents. How's he doing? How's his demeanor? Have you heard anything about it at this point?

ORIHUELA: He's been very cooperative. We've had no problems with him whatsoever so far.

TUCHMAN: OK. Now, it seems like a very unusual arrangement to fly back on a commercial flight. How is that working? He was put in the back of the plane by himself?

ORIHUELA: He was put on the back in the plane. He was accompanied by two Argentinean marshals and two State Department officials.

TUCHMAN: Any idea why he was brought back? If I was paying hundreds of dollars to fly from South America to North America, I don't know if I'd want that guy sitting on a plane with me. Any idea why it was worked out that way?

ORIHUELA: It's done like that all the time. It's the fastest and quickest way to get people back up here.

TUCHMAN: So it wasn't seen as any security issue whatsoever?

ORIHUELA: No, he was under control of very good people.

TUCHMAN: OK, now what's the next step? He's going to be transported to court and what happens in that court hearing today?

ORIHUELA: If he had his initial appearance today, he'll be informed of the charges, which will be interference with a flight crew, and he'll be appointed a lawyer, and we'll go from there.

TUCHMAN: Judy, thank you very much for joining us.

ORIHUELA: Thank you.

TUCHMAN: We want to tell you this man works in the banking industry in Uruguay. We are told that he was in South Florida for work, for a banking convention of some type, but now he's under arrest here in Miami, Florida -- Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Gary, there was lots of interesting stuff in "The Miami Herald" this morning. I want to ask if you've heard the same things these reporters have. They interviewed passengers who said this man was drinking heavily before he got on the flight and he was also drinking while on the flight. Have you heard he was drunk?

TUCHMAN: Well it's interesting because some passengers yesterday said they did not know he was drunk. However, other passengers saying not only was he was drunk, but they saw him drinking at the airport before the flight, as you saw, and they also saw him smoking in the airport, which is notable because it's a smoke-free airport. And we are told by witnesses that he was smoking for about three minutes, and people were trying to get him to put it out, and he wouldn't put it out. The allegation, according to his brother, he's a nervous flyer, and that's why he was smoking and drinking before.

COSTELLO: And I think a lot of people wonder exactly what happens when an incident like this happens aboard a plane. Apparently an alarm sounded when this man got up and started kicking in the cockpit door, and that told the crew to rush to the front of the plane. Can you tell us then what happened next?

TUCHMAN: Well, what happened next is that the pilots inside were very aware of what to do in case someone tried to break into the cabin door. You know this had the new restraining bar on the inside of the cabin. That's a bar that was put up there since September 11. It is retro-fitted to make the door safer, and that's why, perhaps, when he kicked it, the whole door didn't come in. But yes, the alarm went off, the crew ran up the plane, and after the man was hit with an ax, four passengers and two crewmembers then subdued him and held him for the remaining three hours of the flight.

One of the passengers actually talked to this gentleman for quite a period of time while the flight was coming to Buenos Aires. The man speaks English and Spanish, and he was being talked to in English and this passenger was asking him why did you do this, and he says he couldn't find out why.

COSTELLO: And from what I understand, is the ax always kept in the cockpit, because it was a small ax. It was 15 to 18 inches long and had a small head on it.

TUCHMAN: Right, standard equipment in the cockpit of this plane, and by the way, he wasn't hit with the pointy end of the ax. He was hit with the blunt end of the ax. I'll tell you if he was hit with the other end of the ax, he might not be here at FBI headquarters.

COSTELLO: I think you're right about that. Gary Tuchman reporting live for us from Miami this morning. Thank you.

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