Haak any benefits he was entitled to receive as a result of his separation from (the airline)," Mainz said.ĭefense attorney Michael Salnick said Haak had a sterling career as a commercial pilot and received numerous accolades and supportive letters from passengers and colleagues, including one from Southwest chairman and CEO Gary Kelly on the day of Haak's retirement.
"Nonetheless, Southwest did investigate the matter and as a result, ceased paying Mr. Southwest spokesperson Chris Mainz said in a statement that the airline "does not tolerate behavior of this nature and will take prompt action if such conduct is substantiated." Southwest only learned of Haak's behavior after he voluntarily left the airline, according to Mainz. 31, 2020, three weeks after the incident that led to the criminal charge. His last flight for the Dallas-based airline was on Aug. Haak, a resident of Longwood, Florida, was a Southwest Airlines pilot for 27 years until his retirement. The judge wasn't bound by that recommendation. He was charged in Maryland because it was one of the states that the aircraft passed over that day.įederal prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of probation without requiring Haak to register as a sex offender. Haak was charged in April with intentionally committing a lewd, indecent or obscene act in a public place, a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of 90 days in jail. "She had a right not to be subjected to this kind of behavior, regardless of what may have motivated it or prompted it," the prosecutor said. "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. 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. 2020 has been charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly committing a lewd act during the flight from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Orlando, Florida. Mark Coulson sentenced him to one year of unsupervised probation and a 5,000 fine. A pilot who was commanding a Southwest Airlines plane in Aug.
"It started as a consensual prank between me and the other pilot. Michael Haak, 60, apologized and expressed remorse for his actions before U.S. 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. (AP) - 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.
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