A Texas man is accused of using a fake boarding pass to board a United Airlines flight before he was found hiding in a restroom, forcing the plane to return to the gate before it could take off at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, court documents say.
The 25-year-old Houston man was discovered on the Los Angeles-bound flight in mid-May as it taxied to the runway when a passenger alerted a flight attendant, according to authorities.
He was accused last week of impairing or disrupting the operation of critical infrastructure facilities. A message seeking comment was left with his attorney on Monday.
Surveillance cameras showed the man having trouble with his boarding pass at a TSA checkpoint when he arrived at the Houston airport early on May 18, according to a criminal complaint.
He was eventually screened at the checkpoint and then tried to board another flight to Los Angeles, but was denied when he tried to scan his card, the complaint said.
About two hours later, the man went to another gate and waited until United employees who were checking his boarding passes were distracted, the court document said. He then pretended to show his ID, walked past employees and boarded the plane, the complaint said.
The TSA said in a statement that the man first presented a valid boarding pass, underwent standard screening, and did not have any prohibited items. She referred other questions to Houston police and United Airlines. United referred all questions to law enforcement.
Once on board, the man tried to find a seat before going to the bathroom, and a passenger noticed him and notified the flight attendant, the complaint said. He gave the flight attendant a fake name and then discovered he was not a passenger on the plane, the court document said.
The complaint said that everyone on board had to get off the plane while it was checked for explosives, delaying its takeoff for three hours.
A United employee later told authorities that the man had made a reservation, but it had been canceled because he had not paid for it, the court document said.
He showed Houston police a confirmation number on his phone and what looked like a boarding pass, but a United employee told authorities the pass was fake and could not be obtained without paying money, the complaint said.