The judge told Haak that his actions had a traumatic effect on the co-pilot and could have impacted the safety of passengers and other co-workers. The first officer submitted a statement to the court but didn’t speak during Friday’s hearing. “As the plane continued its flight, Haak further engaged in inappropriate conduct in the cockpit, as the first officer continued to perform her duties as an assigned aircrew member,” the statement says. After the plane reached its cruising altitude, Haak got out of the pilot’s seat, “disrobed” and began watching pornographic material on a laptop computer in the cockpit, prosecutors said.
![southwest airlines pilot michael haak southwest airlines pilot michael haak](https://static.toiimg.com/thumb/msid-81918645,width-1070,height-580,imgsize-1585059,resizemode-75,overlay-toi_sw,pt-32,y_pad-40/photo.jpg)
I never imagined it would turn into this in a thousand years,” Haak said during a remote hearing.įederal prosecutors said in a news release that Haak had never met the first officer before that flight bound for Orlando on Aug. “It started as a consensual prank between me and the other pilot. Mark Coulson sentenced him to one year of unsupervised probation and a $5,000 fine. Michael Haak, 60, apologized and expressed remorse for his actions before U.S. But it’s unclear whether either of those profiles belongs to the former Southwest Airlines pilot.A retired Southwest Airlines pilot was sentenced to probation Friday after pleading guilty to exposing his genitals to a female first officer and watching pornography on a laptop during a flight from Philadelphia to Florida last year. The Federal Aviation Administration lists two people under the name “Michael Haak” who are licensed to fly in the United States.
![southwest airlines pilot michael haak southwest airlines pilot michael haak](https://wcrynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Southwest-Airlines-pilot-who-watched-porn-and-exposed-himself-to-female-officer-mid-flight-is-fined-5000-360x200.jpg)
Haak appears to have suspended or deleted any social media accounts. The Daily Mail reported that a LinkedIn account associated with Haak listed him as a captain with Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines has not shared further information about Haak’s employment history or whether he’d been accused of anything similar in the past. It Wasn’t Immediately Clear How Long Haak Was Employed at Southwest Airlines Haak could also be charged with a $500 fine if found guilty.Īs of this writing, federal court records did not list an attorney who could speak on Haak’s behalf.ĥ. The charge carries a maximum punishment of 90 days behind bars if convicted. According to the Code of the District of Columbia, “It is unlawful for a person, in public, to make an obscene or indecent exposure of his or her genitalia or anus, to engage in masturbation, or to engage in a sexual act.” The misdemeanor charge was listed under D.C. The federal complaint states Haak is facing a misdemeanor charge for committing a “lewd, indecent, or obscene act.” The document states Haak was charged under a federal code that specifically deals with the “application of certain criminal laws to acts on aircraft.” Haak Could Face Jail Time & a Fine If Convicted but King said Haak’s current employment status was not available.Ĥ. We also asked whether Haak had moved to another commercial airline. Spokesperson Brandy King did not answer that question. Heavy reached out to the airline for clarification about whether Haak was fired or if he left on his own. Southwest says the airline did not learn about the accused indecent exposure incident until after Haak had already left the company. Southwest Airlines said in its prepared statement to NBC Washington that Haak was no longer an employee and that he had “departed the company” in 2020. Multiple federal law enforcement officials and sources confirm a former Southwest Airlines pilot is being charged with committing a “lewd” indecent act mid-flight from Philadelphia to Orlando in August. Haak Left Southwest Airlines in 2020 But It’s Unclear Whether He Was Fired Our corporate culture is built upon treating others with mutual respect and dignity, and the events alleged in this situation are inconsistent with the behavior that we require of our employees.ģ. Southwest Airlines takes all matters related to workplace conduct very seriously, with a well-defined policy and reporting process for harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation claims. The event was recently brought to our attention, and we’ve cooperated with the appropriate outside agencies as they investigate. The statement did not mention Haak by name:
#Southwest airlines pilot michael haak how to
In a prepared statement to NBC Washington, Southwest suggested Haak had violated the corporation’s policy about how to act in the workplace. Southwest Airlines spokesperson Brandy King confirmed to Heavy via email that no flight attendants or passengers witnessed the interaction.
A Southwest Airlines spokesperson confirmed to the Associated Press that “pilots were the only people aboard aware of the incident.” The exposure incident most likely occurred at the front of the plane or in the cockpit.