A young man, estimated to be between 18 to 20 years old, was detained in Malaysia after he allegedly impersonated a Cathay Pacific pilot while on a Dragonair flight from Hong Kong to Penang.
Apple Daily reports that the youth boarded the Dragonair flight on March 31 in a Cathay Pacific pilot uniform, and told cabin staff that he wished to go into the cockpit after landing to thank the captain.
The pretend pilot told a flight attendant that he was due to fly a plane from Malaysia to Hong Kong but ordered a Bloody Mary, despite strict regulations against operating an aircraft after imbibing alcohol.
The lad further aroused suspicions amongst cabin crew members when he enthusiastically photographed his flight meal. #CameraEatsFirst
Staff asked to see the passenger’s staff ID before they admitted him to the cockpit, but the youngster allegedly claimed his identification was in his check-in luggage. Yeah, that sounds legit.
Upon landing in Penang, the young man reportedly tried to enter the cockpit again under the pretense of “thanking the captain”. When crew members asked him for his staff number and pilot number, the lad relented and claimed he had nicked the uniform and crew tags from his stepfather, who actually is a Cathay pilot.
The wannabe wingman gave his name as Ronaldo, and said he was half-Chinese, half-South African. He was escorted away by Penang airport security, but reportedly returned to Hong Kong on April 2 and was not arrested or charged by Malaysian police.
Crew members told Apple Daily that they believed the youngster had been photographed while riding the Airport Express and MTR in a pilot’s uniform on previous occasions, and suspected that it wasn’t the first time he’d “played pilot”.
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