Please reference http://www.safetydata.com/far-91.htm
Section 91.11 FAR's " no person may assault, threaten, intimidate, or
interfere with a crewmember in the performance of the crewmember's
duties aboard an aircraft being operated."
This is not the discussion, however. The mandate from the FAA is quite
clear, as stated above. The inherent problem is in the Justice
Department's ineffective guidelines. We all hear in news reports that a
violent passenger MAY be sentenced with a twenty year penalty. In
reality, the guidelines would allow that type sentence if the accused
were to use a weapon of some type. Honestly, the average drunken sot who
raises cain while inflight is most probably not intelligent enough to
pass through security screens with a weapon. I have no knowledge of
anyone being sentenced to this maximum penalty. Meanwhile, tell my wife
that her career may be over, and she will have to live in pain for the
rest of her life, because of this insanity, and the person responsible
will be put away for six to twenty four months. The punishment does not
fit the crime.
Mike Sheffer
msheffer_at_wbtv.com