Jonathan Khalid Petras, Interfering with Flight Crew, TX 2016

Two men from San Diego went on a sky-high rampage last year, turning a routine Southwest Airlines flight into a cockpit-level crisis. Jonathan Khalid Petras, 21, and Wisam Imad Shaker, 23, were sentenced today in federal court in Amarillo, Texas, after a June 2016 trial found them guilty of interfering with a flight crew and aiding and abetting—a felony charge stemming from their violent outburst midair.

The chaos erupted on August 31, 2015, aboard Southwest Airlines Flight 1522, en route from San Diego to Chicago. Sitting side by side, Petras and Shaker repeatedly ignored flight safety instructions, shouted obscenities, and refused to comply with crew orders. When denied alcohol, the situation escalated—both men screamed at flight attendants, made aggressive lunges, and physically threatened the crew, forcing the pilot to divert the plane.

The flight made an emergency landing at Rick Husband International Airport in Amarillo, where FBI agents and local police waited to escort the two men off in handcuffs. Passengers reported panic and fear throughout the cabin as flight attendants struggled to maintain control. The disruption delayed multiple flights and cost the airline over $6,890 in damages and emergency response.

U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater handed down seven months in federal prison for Petras and five months for Shaker. Both were ordered to pay $6,890 in restitution, jointly and severally, for the costs incurred during the incident. They are required to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons by January 3, 2017.

The FBI, Amarillo Police Department, and Rick Husband International Airport Police led the investigation, treating the incident as a serious federal offense. Interfering with a flight crew is a felony under U.S. law, especially when the safety of hundreds of passengers is compromised by intoxicated, aggressive behavior.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Penley, Joshua Frausto, and Amy Burch prosecuted the case, emphasizing that no one is above the law—even at 30,000 feet. The convictions send a clear message: air rage isn’t just rude, it’s a crime with time behind bars.