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Naked Flier Wasn't Exhibitionist, Just Bipolar and Off His Meds
By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 2, 2009
Modified Jul 2, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 2, 2009
Modified Jul 2, 2009
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The Bronx man who was arrested Tuesday after going full monty during a flight bound from Charlotte to L.A. wasn't doing it to freak out the squares; he happens to be bipolar. Authorities have identified the U.S. Airways passenger as Keith Wright, a Navy veteran, and his wife Debra tells the Daily News that Keith left their Bronx home Tuesday without telling her, after spending days not eating or sleeping: "When I came home from work he wasn't around. Next thing I know I get a call from a FBI officer. That is when I knew."
Flight Service Supervisor Claudia Kearney approached Wright upon seeing him dancing in the boarding area before the flight, and he told her he had consumed one beer. According to a complaint against Wright obtained by Newsday, Kearney told the FBI she didn't smell alcohol on him and decided he was all right to fly. But once he got in the air, Wright decided to air everything out. He ignored flight attendants' requests that he put his clothes on, and threw off a blanked they put on him. Wright then punched and kicked a flight attendant, who asked two off-duty law officers to help subdue him.
Flight attendants were also dealing with an unrelated onboard medical emergency at the same time, and according to the FBI's report, the flight was actually diverted because of the medical emergency, with Wright's birthday suit a secondary reason for the pit stop in Albuquerque. He was taken off the plane naked in handcuffs, and is now in federal custody on a charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. Passenger Ginny Keegan tells Newsday that when the flight resumed again from Albuquerque, the pilot got on the intercom to issue "a reminder to everybody to please keep your clothing on."
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John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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