ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Greenwood, South Carolina man was sentenced on September 23, 2026, to two years in prison for interfering with a Delta Airlines flight crew in December 2025.
According to court documents, Michael Shane Orndoff, Jr., 52, boarded Delta Airlines flight 27 from Atlanta, Georgia, enroute to Seoul, South Korea, when it had to be diverted to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport because of Orndoff’s intoxication and violent behavior.
Approximately one hour after take-off, Orndoff had already consumed four to six large glasses of wine, becoming intoxicated and belligerent toward the flight crew and other passengers. Orndoff began to lean and breathe onto an adjacent female passenger. Around this time, the flight crew refused alcohol service to Orndoff. Orndoff then tried to have other passengers, including a minor, buy alcohol for him, and eventually he stole a bottle of wine from a service cart and locked himself in a bathroom. A short time later, he left the bathroom carrying the empty wine bottle, returned to his seat, and continued to harass nearby passengers. The pilots locked themselves in the cockpit and diverted the flight to Anchorage for safety. The female passenger approached a flight crew member at the front of the plane and asked for a different seat. Orndoff chased her to the front of the plane, pounded on the cockpit door, and demanded more alcohol. It took several passengers and flight crew members to subdue Orndoff with zip-ties.
Airport police boarded the plane when it landed and escorted Orndoff off the plane. Hours after Orndoff stole the bottle of wine, his blood alcohol concentration was .192.
“Regrettably, events such as this have become all too common,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Air travel is an essential mode of transportation, especially for Alaskans, and we remain committed to ensuring that every passenger can fly without fear of belligerent and dangerous behavior.”
“While onboard a commercial aircraft, Mr. Orndoff’s violent and disruptive behavior jeopardized the safety of the flight crew and his fellow passengers,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Interfering with a flight crew is a federal crime that can have catastrophic consequences. The FBI will continue to investigate crimes aboard aircraft, pursue justice for victims, and help ensure the safety and security of all travelers.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and the Anchorage Airport Police and Fire Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie prosecuted the case.
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Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Alaska — U.S. Department of Justice press release.