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Man Charged With Attacking Flight Attendant

US Airways Flight Forced To Turn Back To Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A Pennsylvania man was charged Tuesday with attacking a flight attendant, causing the cancellation of a US Airways Express flight from Charlotte to Birmingham, Ala., authorities said.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Brent McKnight agreed at a hearing several hours later to release Robert Quarture, 32, of McMurray, Pa., on $50,000 unsecured bond.

After taking off shortly after 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, pilots returned to Charlotte, where authorities met the plane.

According to an affidavit filed by FBI agent John L. Mayer, Quarture punched flight attendant Thurman C. Lee in the stomach shortly after the plane took off at 8:30 a.m. The altercation occurred after Lee spilled a glass of water on Quarture's lap, the agent said.

"At that point, Quarture struck Lee in the midsection with his fist," Mayer wrote.

The plane then returned to Charlotte, where authorities met the plane, said Benet Wilson, a spokeswoman for Phoenix-based Mesa Air Group, which operates the regional airline.

Lee was taken to the hospital as a precaution, then released, Wilson said.

She said she had no additional details about the incident, which was being investigated. "We're still trying to determine what set the whole thing off," she said.

US Airways spokesman Dave Castelveter said 22 passengers were aboard the 50-seat regional jet. Two pilots and the flight attendant were the only crew members, he said.

The flight was canceled after returning to Charlotte. Passengers

-- Anonymous, September 04, 2002

Answers

oops... don't know what happened to the final sentence, so here it is:

The flight was canceled after returning to Charlotte. Passengers were placed on another US Airways flight, Wilson said.

-- Anonymous, September 04, 2002

I wonder what caused him to spill the water?

-- Anonymous, September 04, 2002