According to a criminal complaint submitted in federal court, a British businessman allegedly attempted to rush the cockpit of an American Airlines flight traveling from Barbados to Miami after arguing at a flight attendant over how the food option had been described. After the pilots radioed ahead to report an onboard disturbance, Robert Croizat, a British citizen of Barbados, was detained on suspicion of interfering with a flight crew.
Following the strange occurrence on March 8 aboard American Airlines flight AA1192 from Bridgetown, the former founding partner of an “international wealth management firm,” who is currently establishing a mental health foundation in Barbados, has since been charged with assault. According to an affidavit filed in Miami district court, Croizat first got upset around two hours into the three-and-a-half-hour flight when he allegedly got up from his assigned seat to berate a flight attendant, calling him a “sh**ty flight attendant” because he should have addressed Croizat better when describing the meal choices.
Croizat then allegedly turned his attention to a second flight attendant, repeatedly demanding that she “get the Captain out here” so that Croizat could speak with the pilot. Croizat was told by the flight attendants to return to his seat, but he disobeyed and later touched a third flight attendant. Croizat is accused of pushing her twice after she requested that he refrain from touching her. Croizat is accused of pushing the second flight attendant against the cockpit door at one point and briefly pinning her there.
Finally, a helpful fellow traveler “lifted” Croizat and put him back in his seat. Croizat stayed seated but kept complaining to the flight attendants, who had a lunch cart blocking access to the galley. According to the criminal complaint, the Captain reported an “attempted breach of the flight deck” to air traffic control, one of the most dangerous types of unruly passenger behavior that is sufficient to trigger a significant security operation. Around 6:33 p.m., the plane touched down in Miami without additional incident, when law enforcement officers apprehended Croizat and took him into custody. Croizat, who had planned on spending only five days in the Miami area to visit his son who lives in the country, has had his passport taken away and has been told to wear a GPS ankle bracelet. Croizat’s attorneys recently filed a motion to allow their client to return to Barbados while awaiting a trial date, arguing that the cost of “exorbitant” Airbnb rentals and hotel rooms in the South Florida area had become “financially burdensome” and is causing “severe financial hardship”. The court denied the request, and the trial is now scheduled to begin sometime in June.