PILOT FORCED TO LAND JET AFTER PASSENGER’S MELTDOWN

PASSENGER LOCKED HIMSELF IN TOILET AFTER DRINKING WHISKY AND CHAMPAGNE

An airline passenger forced a pilot to divert a transatlantic jumbo jet to Manchester Airport at a cost of £17,000 after he had a mid-air meltdown at 30,000 feet due to his fear of flying. Father-of-two Zahi Lebhardt, 31, got so nervous on board the Canada-bound flight from Frankfurt in Germany, he repeatedly locked himself in the toilet where he screamed and ripped panels off the walls. Crew on board tried to calm down the former Israeli army captain but Lebhardt, who had been drinking dutyfree whisky and champagne, began spitting in the aisle.

I’m quite shocked and devastated. It’s never happened to me in my entire life Passenger Zahi Lebhardt

AN airline passenger forced a pilot to divert a transatlantic flight to Manchester Airport at a cost of £17,000 after he had a mid-air meltdown due to his fear of flying.

Father-of-two Zahi Lebhardt, 31, was so nervous on board the Canada-bound Boeing 747 from Frankfurt in Germany, he repeatedly locked himself in the toilet where he screamed and ripped panels off the walls.

Crew tried to calm down the former Israeli army captain, but Lebhardt – who had been drinking duty-free whisky and champagne – began spitting in the aisle and the captain was alerted amid fears he might cause a major incident over the Atlantic Ocean.

The Lufthansa flight LH470 made an emergency touchdown 3,700 miles from its Toronto destination in Manchester on April 6, where Lebhardt and his luggage were removed. Lufthansa estimated the cost of the diversion 20,000 euro (£17,000) due to other passengers missing connecting flights.

At Manchester magistrates court, Lebhardt, an IT specialist from Tel Aviv, admitted being drunk on an aircraft but was given a threemonth suspended jail term and an order to pay £200 in costs after magistrates were told he was being sued by Lufthansa for the cost of diverting the flight.

He appeared in court via video link from prison, where he had been held since his arrest. He explained he was on his way to visit his girlfriend, who was recovering from skin cancer.

He said: “I’m quite shocked and devastated. It’s never happened to me in my entire life. I’m not a drinker, I was just so excited to see my missus.

“It will never happen again in my life, I swear.

“I want to come back to my kids and be a lawabiding citizen again. I’m a normal person and so ashamed to be in this position.” Rachel Parker, prosecuting, said: “On one occasion he locked himself inside [the toilet] and was screaming loudly and banging on the interior of the washroom for over five minutes. “When he came out, staff noticed panels lining the washroom had been pulled off the walls and the soap dispenser had been thrown around.” she told the court there had been an application for compensation from the airline and it is likely they will attempt to pursue the defendant in the civil courts.

Vic Wozny, defending, said: “He does have OCD and is a nervous flyer. He did shout and scream, he has no idea why that should have been.

“He bites his nails terribly but never intentionally spat at anybody.

“He is from Tel Aviv and people say they are very brash and loud and in your face, rather like New Yorkers. That can appear to be aggressive, but no aggression was intended.

“To be sentenced to a term of imprisonment would mean he would lose his job.”

Passing sentence, magistrate steve Barlow said: “The offence is so serious because it was on an aircraft in mid-air. But we have heard the remorse and how sad you are to hear how you acted through being drunk. It’s not in your character.’’