Disruptive passenger
is chargedA mental examination is ordered
for a man who allegedly tried
to break into a cockpit
A Tennessee man charged with attempting to break into the cockpit of a plane en route from Detroit to Honolulu told a federal judge that he came here to see the beach and taste the rain.
Brandon Rines, 31, was charged yesterday with interference with a flight crew, a felony that carries a five-year prison term. FBI agents arrested Rines for allegedly attempting to break into the cabin of a Northwest Airlines flight that landed here Thursday afternoon.
Federal investigators said Rines came to Hawaii on a one-way ticket and had no check-in luggage.
Based on Rines' conduct at his initial appearance on the charge in federal court yesterday, U.S. Magistrate Barry Kurren ordered him to undergo a mental examination to determine whether he is competent to undergo prosecution.
U.S. Attorney Edward Kubo said Rines' statements in court displayed irrationality and an unwillingness to appreciate the amount of trouble he is in.
"Mr. Rines presents himself as a person who doesn't listen. He presents himself to me as a spoiled individual. He presents himself as a person who is unwilling to listen to authority, such as the judge. And he needs to be in a safe place," said Kubo.
Kubo said Rines is being held in special holding at the federal detention center in Honolulu as he undergoes evaluation.
In a telephone interview, Greg Rines said the last time he saw his cousin was about a year ago when Brandon Rines was going to school to become a teacher. They both live in Talbott, Tenn., about 35 miles northeast of Knoxville. He said Brandon Rines recently placed his mother in a nursing home.
Rines transferred to Northwest Airlines Flight 923 in Detroit at 9:10 a.m. Thursday after catching a connecting flight from Tennessee, said Thomas Becher, Northwest spokesman. The direct flight aboard a DC-10 arrived in Honolulu at 2:30 p.m. Rines was seated in the first-class section of the aircraft.
About 12:30 p.m., Rines left his seat and approached the forward cabin of the airplane, according to a criminal complaint filed by the FBI. Rines was yelling, "We need to land this plane now; we need to get on the ground," the complaint said.
Rines got within touching distance of the cockpit before crew members stopped him and ordered him to return to his seat, Kubo said.
About 20 minutes later, Rines attempted to climb over the seat in front of him and yelled, "The world is coming to an end," and "I am going to land the plane," the complaint said.
Crew members and two off-duty Northwest pilots subdued and restrained Rines until the plane landed in Honolulu where FBI agents and state deputy sheriffs were waiting to take him into custody.