SERIOUS - smoking on an aircraft - FBI involved?

Question

My husband was accused of smoking on an airplane & he DID NOT do it. A stewardess said it smelled like smoke & he was the last person in there. She called someone else (male flight attendant) who yelled at us in front of everyone. My husband was dumbfounded & embarrassed.

When we landed we were met by Airport security, a Police Chief & 3 other Officers. We were not allowed to call the person picking us up who was waiting outside. They interrogated my husband AND me, told us we were going to jail & then let us go & said the FBI would be contacting us.

WTF? Is this reasonable? I've never seen my husband that pissed off & I had to reign him in. I was scared. I haven't been in trouble since I was a teenager & they're telling us that it's a Federal offense & we will be contacted by the FBI.

We ARE smokers but that flight was delayed for 3 hrs so ALL of us smokers sat outside together. There were tons of smokers on that flight.

Answer 1

well,of course I advise you to get a lawyer. but I dont think this will stand up in court.

Answer 2

get real,  your husband was smoking in there. Guilty as charged...

Answer 3

I do not think that is reasonable at all. Just because he was the last person in there doesn't mean he was the one that did it. (We've all gone into a nasty smelling restroom... and subsequently walked out of it.... doesn't mean we were the one that "did" it!)

Unless they actually saw him smoking, I really don't think they have a case.

Answer 4

Sounds like scare tactic. I wouldn't worry about it. If they wanted to arrest you for smoking, they'd done so already. They don't have enough evidence, but they don't want you to "get away with it", so they decided to lay it on pretty thick.

Your husband should have spoken up right then and there: "I did not smoke in there."  EVERY lavatory has a smoke alarm, and both tampering with smoke alarm and smoking onboard a domestic flight are FEDERAL offenses. If your husband did not do either, volunteer to have the smoke alarm fingerprinted (and him, of course), and demand an apology from the two flight attendents and the airline if his prints did not appear on the smoke alarm. It's also easy to pat down for cigarettes and /or smoking materials such as matches or lighters. While the flight attendents don't have the right to search you, offer to empty his pockets would have done a lot right then and there.

I seriously doubt FBI would be contacting you, but you may be put on the airline's "watch-out" list so any crew can keep an eye out in case any other alleged incidents come up.

EDIT: Sounds like you'll be fine. I'd write the president of the airline with a complaint letter and detail everything you've said here. If you have the flight attendant's names that'd be even better. You may even get some free flight vouchers out of it... if they determine that they were too aggressive in accusing your husband of smoking.