A man who sparked panic on a SkyWest flight by trying to open the exit door while the plane was in the air has been sentenced to 18 months in prison with two years of supervised release. Mario Nikprelaj was aboard SkyWest flight 3612 from Omaha, Nebraska, to Detroit, Michigan, last July when he began making a commotion, refusing to put his seatbelt on during takeoff, being rude to staff, and ultimately forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Northern District of Iowa U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement that he was sentenced on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants in September. The office said that before takeoff, the 24-year-old “began making disruptive and rude statements to passengers and flight crew” and “refused to put his seatbelt on, but a flight attendant eventually convinced him to do so and the plane took off.” Of Shelby Township, Michigan, he also “flipped off” a member of the crew, took off his seatbelt, and repeatedly stood up as the plane was taking off. When he was told he was going to be reported, the office said he “threatened to kill the flight attendant,” who was 80, and as the plane descended took his shirt off and started walking around. After landing, officers said they found “a prescription bottle containing 41 pills of purported Xanax.”
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