Twin sisters get wild; UA diverts to Anchorage
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Twin sisters get wild; UA diverts to Anchorage
No word on whether there will be a rematch from Federal prison, and no pics of the twins to see whether a rematch might be worth paying to watch on pay-per-view.
Also see update info (e.g., 4 pilots on board, girls are models) in post #13 below.
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Unruly Sisters Force Plane to Land
By DAN JOLING, Associated Press Writer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Twin 22-year-old sisters got into a screaming argument aboard a United Airlines flight to China and then
scuffled with crew members who intervened, prompting the pilot to divert the jet to Anchorage, authorities say.
Cynthia and Crystal Mikula of Buckley, Mich., were arrested by airport security and FBI (news - web sites) agents after the Boeing 747 with 255 people aboard touched down Thursday. The identical twins face charges
of interfering with flight crew members.
The women began arguing about four hours after the plane left San Francisco, said Phillip Reid, the FBI agent in charge in Alaska.
A flight attendant tried to calm the sisters, and Cynthia Mikula hit her in the face, Reid said.
One of the pilots walked to the rear of the aircraft and told the sisters to return to their seats, then sat with them to ensure there would be no more trouble, but Cynthia Mikula hit the pilot in the head, Reid said.
When the flight crew put Cynthia Mikula in flexible handcuffs, Crystal Mikula put another flight attendant in a chokehold, Reid said.
Reid said the sisters screamed obscenities during the entire episode.
The sisters were in custody, awaiting an appearance before a federal magistrate Friday.
"United Airlines takes the issue of air rage very seriously,'' airline spokeswoman Whitney Staley said.
The flight was to resume Friday evening after crew members completed a mandatory rest. Passengers were put up in a hotel Thursday night and took a glacier tour Friday.
[This message has been edited by SaturnV (edited 21 April 2001).]
Also see update info (e.g., 4 pilots on board, girls are models) in post #13 below.
____________________________________
Unruly Sisters Force Plane to Land
By DAN JOLING, Associated Press Writer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Twin 22-year-old sisters got into a screaming argument aboard a United Airlines flight to China and then
scuffled with crew members who intervened, prompting the pilot to divert the jet to Anchorage, authorities say.
Cynthia and Crystal Mikula of Buckley, Mich., were arrested by airport security and FBI (news - web sites) agents after the Boeing 747 with 255 people aboard touched down Thursday. The identical twins face charges
of interfering with flight crew members.
The women began arguing about four hours after the plane left San Francisco, said Phillip Reid, the FBI agent in charge in Alaska.
A flight attendant tried to calm the sisters, and Cynthia Mikula hit her in the face, Reid said.
One of the pilots walked to the rear of the aircraft and told the sisters to return to their seats, then sat with them to ensure there would be no more trouble, but Cynthia Mikula hit the pilot in the head, Reid said.
When the flight crew put Cynthia Mikula in flexible handcuffs, Crystal Mikula put another flight attendant in a chokehold, Reid said.
Reid said the sisters screamed obscenities during the entire episode.
The sisters were in custody, awaiting an appearance before a federal magistrate Friday.
"United Airlines takes the issue of air rage very seriously,'' airline spokeswoman Whitney Staley said.
The flight was to resume Friday evening after crew members completed a mandatory rest. Passengers were put up in a hotel Thursday night and took a glacier tour Friday.
[This message has been edited by SaturnV (edited 21 April 2001).]
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10 years in a Chinese prison would serve 'em right.
Instead they are probably getting a good lawyer and a useless jury.
Thanks to a screwed up legal system in the US of A, one can get away with anything.
Just ask O.J.
------------------
Men, this is no drill...
Instead they are probably getting a good lawyer and a useless jury.
Thanks to a screwed up legal system in the US of A, one can get away with anything.
Just ask O.J.
------------------
Men, this is no drill...
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WOW! -
Something is finally being done about sky-rage. I like that.
With the expense of such diversions, maybe some gate screening will get done.
I hope they sentence the gals to pay for United's lost profits. Simple jail time would be too good and too quick.
Something is finally being done about sky-rage. I like that.
With the expense of such diversions, maybe some gate screening will get done.
I hope they sentence the gals to pay for United's lost profits. Simple jail time would be too good and too quick.
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Tower Dog described our US judicial system very well. High-powered attorneys and their multi-millionaire salaries, who can intimidate judges, often make a joke of our legal system.
No US airline wants to comply with the Federal Air Regulation which states that intoxicated passengers are not allowed on board. Maybe the visible symptoms between various people are inconsistent and too subjective to allow the cabin crew to make easy decisions .
How much revenue do US major airlines receive from in-flight liquor sales each year? For example, take American Airlines-are there any inside facts on this?
[This message has been edited by Ignition Override (edited 21 April 2001).]
No US airline wants to comply with the Federal Air Regulation which states that intoxicated passengers are not allowed on board. Maybe the visible symptoms between various people are inconsistent and too subjective to allow the cabin crew to make easy decisions .
How much revenue do US major airlines receive from in-flight liquor sales each year? For example, take American Airlines-are there any inside facts on this?
[This message has been edited by Ignition Override (edited 21 April 2001).]
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Methinks it'll be a long time before the cost of diversions outweigh the revenue from in-flight liquor sales.
If the symptoms of drunkenness are subjective (and the trouble here is that it affects everyone differently, some just want to be everyone's friend and go to sleep!) how about a compulsory breath test before boarding.
OK, I know that screening everyone would be too expensive. But as pilots in the US (and soon us in Europe, by the look of it) are subject to random testing, how about testing SUSPECTED drunken passengers? The limit doesn't have to be as low as it is for driving/flying but it would mark a line in the sand which could be promulgated on tickets and therefore give protection against possible litigation. If you cross the line it's at your own risk. Behave or suffer the consequences!
It still wouldn't solve the problem of people becoming drunk during the flight though.
I'm afraid it's the same old story. Profit before safety. Mind you, I'd miss the lousy wine with which to wash down the lousy food! If drink were banned totally on flights it'd be another familiar story... a few spoiling it for everyone else.
Forcing people to take responsibility for their own actions is the only way forward. A greater willingness to prosecute coupled with harsher sentencing would be a start.
Alaska sounds quite a deterrent to me! Maybe in the UK we could re-introduce Dickensian work-houses!
If the symptoms of drunkenness are subjective (and the trouble here is that it affects everyone differently, some just want to be everyone's friend and go to sleep!) how about a compulsory breath test before boarding.
OK, I know that screening everyone would be too expensive. But as pilots in the US (and soon us in Europe, by the look of it) are subject to random testing, how about testing SUSPECTED drunken passengers? The limit doesn't have to be as low as it is for driving/flying but it would mark a line in the sand which could be promulgated on tickets and therefore give protection against possible litigation. If you cross the line it's at your own risk. Behave or suffer the consequences!
It still wouldn't solve the problem of people becoming drunk during the flight though.
I'm afraid it's the same old story. Profit before safety. Mind you, I'd miss the lousy wine with which to wash down the lousy food! If drink were banned totally on flights it'd be another familiar story... a few spoiling it for everyone else.
Forcing people to take responsibility for their own actions is the only way forward. A greater willingness to prosecute coupled with harsher sentencing would be a start.
Alaska sounds quite a deterrent to me! Maybe in the UK we could re-introduce Dickensian work-houses!
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So here we have the typical US airline dilemma! Keep the cockpit door locked at all times yet if there is a 'situation' on board lets not rely on the training of our cabin crew but send a pilot out to deal with the 'situation'. "One of the pilots walked to the rear of the aircraft and told the sisters to return to their seats, then sat with them to ensure there would be no more trouble, but Cynthia Mikula hit the pilot in the head..."
So if the pilot had been incapacitated we would have had a full emergency situation with a single pilot operating a multi crew heavy jet and at the same time the whole 'locked cockpit door' argument has been thrown out the window! If the pilots can't rely on their cabin crew to deal with any problem pax then the whole training situation for cabin crew needs to be looked at and who would blame a distraught pax sueing the airline because of the pilot who left his position and placed himself in unnecessary jeopardy thus making a bad situation worse!
The airline I fly for forbids pilots leaving the flight deck when they have been told about disruptive or violent pax precisely because of the danger of being attacked and reducing a two pilot crew to a single pilot operating a multi crew a/c. It may seem unchivalrous but at least we train our cabin crew to deal with all scenarios and to keep the flight deck informed all the time. If advised by cabin crew that the situation is out of hand then we would lock the flight deck door for what it's worth and divert.
I suppose it is a macho thing for the pilot to have to go back into the cabin and deal with unruly pax because the 'girlies' can't and the hell with the consequences! Typical!
So if the pilot had been incapacitated we would have had a full emergency situation with a single pilot operating a multi crew heavy jet and at the same time the whole 'locked cockpit door' argument has been thrown out the window! If the pilots can't rely on their cabin crew to deal with any problem pax then the whole training situation for cabin crew needs to be looked at and who would blame a distraught pax sueing the airline because of the pilot who left his position and placed himself in unnecessary jeopardy thus making a bad situation worse!
The airline I fly for forbids pilots leaving the flight deck when they have been told about disruptive or violent pax precisely because of the danger of being attacked and reducing a two pilot crew to a single pilot operating a multi crew a/c. It may seem unchivalrous but at least we train our cabin crew to deal with all scenarios and to keep the flight deck informed all the time. If advised by cabin crew that the situation is out of hand then we would lock the flight deck door for what it's worth and divert.
I suppose it is a macho thing for the pilot to have to go back into the cabin and deal with unruly pax because the 'girlies' can't and the hell with the consequences! Typical!
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As usual, OzDude makes a valid argument, even if somewhat more restrained than his normal outspoken self 
The "girlies" should indeed be able to cope with violent pax better than the lads from up front. It's the FA's who are supposed to have the people skills and the training for this sort of thing not the pilots!
And regarding the "brawn over brain" issue; never been in a situation yet where there wasn't a number of burly male pax more than willing to come to our asistance. One of those instances where I think: "Thank God for testoterone!!"
If our training in fighting unruly pax would be as thorough as the pilot's training in fighting their emergencies, the problem would rapidly disapear.
The "girlies" should indeed be able to cope with violent pax better than the lads from up front. It's the FA's who are supposed to have the people skills and the training for this sort of thing not the pilots!
And regarding the "brawn over brain" issue; never been in a situation yet where there wasn't a number of burly male pax more than willing to come to our asistance. One of those instances where I think: "Thank God for testoterone!!"
If our training in fighting unruly pax would be as thorough as the pilot's training in fighting their emergencies, the problem would rapidly disapear.
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DETAILS WANTED -
There may not be a lot of information forthcoming, but scenarios such as this are typically an evolution to a revolution.
In all liklihood, the FAs were serving the gals right up to the initial fight. Liqour sales are a very big portion of the profits. If it can be discovered, there is an excellent posssibility that the liqour isn't purchased at expected wholesale prices. You might get killed for asking about it though.
Perhaps the appropriate cockpit cockpit response would be to land and request another crew of flight attendants. "You got 'em drunk; you answer the questions."
11.5 hour segements with two-man crews? Wow! Throw in a compound emergency at the end of that session, after the fourth such segment in a row. Shades of SR-111!
I thought the FAA was brutal. Hell, they're trying to catch up to the CAA.
There may not be a lot of information forthcoming, but scenarios such as this are typically an evolution to a revolution.
In all liklihood, the FAs were serving the gals right up to the initial fight. Liqour sales are a very big portion of the profits. If it can be discovered, there is an excellent posssibility that the liqour isn't purchased at expected wholesale prices. You might get killed for asking about it though.
Perhaps the appropriate cockpit cockpit response would be to land and request another crew of flight attendants. "You got 'em drunk; you answer the questions."
11.5 hour segements with two-man crews? Wow! Throw in a compound emergency at the end of that session, after the fourth such segment in a row. Shades of SR-111!
I thought the FAA was brutal. Hell, they're trying to catch up to the CAA.
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The girls were apparently models (but still no pics). Four pilots were on board. Further details below.
_______________________________________
Twin Sisters Charged With Felonies
By DAN JOLING
Associated Press Writer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Twin sisters who said they were flying to a modeling contest in China were charged with federal felonies Friday after they allegedly downed too many drinks too quickly, began swearing at each other and used the aircraft restroom to smoke.
Federal prosecutors said identical twins Cynthia and Crystal Mikula, 22, of Buckley, Mich., hit and spit on members of the crew as flight attendants tried to calm the pair.
FBI Special Agent Michael Thoreson said the twins did not appear intoxicated before boarding the plane. They were said to have consumed several drinks after the in-flight movie and began arguing near a restroom at the rear of the plane.
Passengers reported smelling cigarette smoke in the restroom.
Thoreson said Cynthia Mikula told her sister, "I've gotta get out of here. Let me off this airplane, I gotta smoke.''
When a flight attendant tried to intervene, Cynthia Mikula swung and hit her with an open hand, bloodying the woman's nose.
A male crew member escorted the women to their seats. Cynthia Mikula hit him, too, Thoreson said. The crew restrained her with plastic handcuffs at ankles and wrists after she hit a third crew member and spit on another, Thoreson said.
At that point, Thoreson said, Crystal Mikula became violent. She struck one flight attendant and jumped on the back of another, choking him and scratching his neck.
The women were charged with interfering with the performance of a flight crew, a felony, after United Airlines flight 857 from San Francisco to Shanghai was diverted to Anchorage late Thursday.
The Mikulas were arraigned Friday before U.S. Magistrate John Roberts, who ordered them held pending a preliminary hearing and bail hearing Wednesday.
The twins, arraigned in separate hearings, asked for court-appointed attorneys and were told charges against them could bring 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.
The jet was 1,100 miles from Anchorage, when it was turned back to Alaska.
The Mikulas continued to scream profanities until they were arrested at the airport, Thoreson said.
The Boeing 747 carried 233 passengers and 22 crew members, including four pilots and 18 flight attendants, said Whitney Staley of United Airlines' media relations office in Chicago.
Passengers were put up in a hotel Thursday night and took a glacier tour Friday, Staley said. The flight continued to Shanghai Friday night after the crew completed a mandatory rest.
_______________________________________
Twin Sisters Charged With Felonies
By DAN JOLING
Associated Press Writer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Twin sisters who said they were flying to a modeling contest in China were charged with federal felonies Friday after they allegedly downed too many drinks too quickly, began swearing at each other and used the aircraft restroom to smoke.
Federal prosecutors said identical twins Cynthia and Crystal Mikula, 22, of Buckley, Mich., hit and spit on members of the crew as flight attendants tried to calm the pair.
FBI Special Agent Michael Thoreson said the twins did not appear intoxicated before boarding the plane. They were said to have consumed several drinks after the in-flight movie and began arguing near a restroom at the rear of the plane.
Passengers reported smelling cigarette smoke in the restroom.
Thoreson said Cynthia Mikula told her sister, "I've gotta get out of here. Let me off this airplane, I gotta smoke.''
When a flight attendant tried to intervene, Cynthia Mikula swung and hit her with an open hand, bloodying the woman's nose.
A male crew member escorted the women to their seats. Cynthia Mikula hit him, too, Thoreson said. The crew restrained her with plastic handcuffs at ankles and wrists after she hit a third crew member and spit on another, Thoreson said.
At that point, Thoreson said, Crystal Mikula became violent. She struck one flight attendant and jumped on the back of another, choking him and scratching his neck.
The women were charged with interfering with the performance of a flight crew, a felony, after United Airlines flight 857 from San Francisco to Shanghai was diverted to Anchorage late Thursday.
The Mikulas were arraigned Friday before U.S. Magistrate John Roberts, who ordered them held pending a preliminary hearing and bail hearing Wednesday.
The twins, arraigned in separate hearings, asked for court-appointed attorneys and were told charges against them could bring 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.
The jet was 1,100 miles from Anchorage, when it was turned back to Alaska.
The Mikulas continued to scream profanities until they were arrested at the airport, Thoreson said.
The Boeing 747 carried 233 passengers and 22 crew members, including four pilots and 18 flight attendants, said Whitney Staley of United Airlines' media relations office in Chicago.
Passengers were put up in a hotel Thursday night and took a glacier tour Friday, Staley said. The flight continued to Shanghai Friday night after the crew completed a mandatory rest.
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IT WILL BE INTERESTING -
The jurisdiction matter will be interesting, by itself.
If the girls are smart, they will plead guilty, apologize and take their lumps in Anchorage - praying for minimum sentencing.
Otherwise - despite what the U.S. Constitution implies - they could be tried in Salt Lake and thrown in prison in Florida.
The story is already changing, it would be interesting to get passenger accounts.
The jurisdiction matter will be interesting, by itself.
If the girls are smart, they will plead guilty, apologize and take their lumps in Anchorage - praying for minimum sentencing.
Otherwise - despite what the U.S. Constitution implies - they could be tried in Salt Lake and thrown in prison in Florida.
The story is already changing, it would be interesting to get passenger accounts.
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A FEW MORE DETAILS -
By Molly Brown And Peter Porco
Anchorage Daily News
(Published April 21, 2001)
Identical twins on a flight to China, purportedly for a modeling competition, cursed, screamed and brawled with each other and the flight crew Thursday, causing such a ruckus that pilots diverted the jet to Anchorage.
The 22-year-old sisters, Crystal and Cynthia Mikula of Buckley, Mich., were each charged with interfering with a flight crew Friday, a felony that carries up to 20 years in prison.
The twins and 231 other passengers were three hours into a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Shanghai on Thursday when they ordered several alcoholic drinks, according to the FBI.
What followed was a "donnybrook at 36,000 feet," said FBI Special Agent Eric Gonzalez.
The Mikulas began yelling cuss words and physically fighting with each other, according to an FBI affidavit attached to the criminal complaint. They got out of their seats to use the bathroom numerous times, and at one point came out of the same bathroom together. A passenger who then used the bathroom smelled cigarette smoke and perfume, according to the FBI.
The twins continued to scream and yell profanity at each other and nearby passengers, according to the FBI. And they got up to use the bathroom again.
At that point, Cynthia Mikula told her sister that she needed to leave the plane and threatened to open a door, according to the FBI.
"I've gotta get out of here. Let me off this airplane. I've gotta smoke. You've gotta open this door," she said.
One of 18 flight attendants on board tried to calm the girls, but Cynthia Mikula struck her on the nose, causing it to bleed. The flight attendant -- who later told an FBI agent the punch "hurt like hell" -- left the twins near the bathrooms.
One of the four pilots then escorted the sisters to their assigned seats and sat in the aisle seat next to them. Cynthia Mikula, in the window seat, eventually reached over her sister and punched the captain on the head, the FBI said.
The pilot then left the girls alone.
Another flight attendant tried to calm the twins, but Cynthia Mikula struck him in the face too, the FBI said. She continued to swing at other flight attendants, spitting on one of them.
Cynthia Mikula phoned her mother, and after speaking with her threw the telephone against a wall, according to the FBI. She kept on swinging at the crew, eventually causing one to lock her wrists and ankles in plastic restraints, similar to handcuffs. She was laid on the floor, cursing still.
As crew members restrained her sister, Crystal Mikula screamed, yelled, jumped on a flight attendant's back and put him in a choke hold, according to the FBI.
By this time, the 747-400 jet was 2,200 miles from Tokyo and 1,100 miles from Anchorage. The four pilots opted to land the plane in Anchorage. The Mikula sisters were escorted off the plane by authorities at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at 10 p.m. Thursday.
The other passengers were taken to hotels. They were offered the chance to tour Anchorage or Portage Glacier on Friday.
The United flight was scheduled to leave Anchorage Friday evening for Shanghai, but without the twins. They will remain at the Sixth Avenue Jail until at least Wednesday, when a federal magistrate has scheduled a preliminary hearing.
The young women -- tall, slender, red-haired -- appeared in court separately Friday afternoon wearing navy blue jail suits and reading glasses, and looking like they had had a very long night. Cynthia Mikula winced when authorities removed handcuffs. Her arms were covered with bruises.
Both sisters told Magistrate John Roberts that they were not employed and could not afford attorneys. Crystal Mikula said she had about $17 and no credit cards.
"All I have is my clothes. That's all in my suitcase," she said.
Cynthia Mikula said she had $130 and a car in Michigan that has been totaled twice. The twins also make payments to their father for a $10,000 loan he helped secure them so they could move to California, she said.
The sisters appear to have developed a bit of a reputation in their hometown, where former teachers described them as talented but troublesome.
"They're feisty. If they get mad at each other, they'll fight each other. They're very strange girls, but they had a lot of potential," said Peter Newell, the administrator of alternative education at Mesick Consolidated School in Buckley, a school for difficult students from which the Mikulas graduated in 1996. Newell said. "Their language (on the plane) -- I can imagine what it turned into, a free-for-all."
Newell also called the sisters "extremely intelligent young ladies" who tutored other Mesick students.
"Where did they learn to manage their anger?" he wondered. "Screaming at each other, pulling their hair out -- there's a long history."
"They have not been good citizens for a long time," said Sandy Kellogg, a secretary at the K-12 Buckley Community School, another school the sisters attended. The girls were on the honor roll and competed on the track team, Kellogg said.
"They were very productive young ladies, and then they started hanging around with the wrong crowd," she said.
Reporter Molly Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 907-257-4343. Peter Porco can be reached at [email protected] or 907-257-4582.
By Molly Brown And Peter Porco
Anchorage Daily News
(Published April 21, 2001)
Identical twins on a flight to China, purportedly for a modeling competition, cursed, screamed and brawled with each other and the flight crew Thursday, causing such a ruckus that pilots diverted the jet to Anchorage.
The 22-year-old sisters, Crystal and Cynthia Mikula of Buckley, Mich., were each charged with interfering with a flight crew Friday, a felony that carries up to 20 years in prison.
The twins and 231 other passengers were three hours into a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Shanghai on Thursday when they ordered several alcoholic drinks, according to the FBI.
What followed was a "donnybrook at 36,000 feet," said FBI Special Agent Eric Gonzalez.
The Mikulas began yelling cuss words and physically fighting with each other, according to an FBI affidavit attached to the criminal complaint. They got out of their seats to use the bathroom numerous times, and at one point came out of the same bathroom together. A passenger who then used the bathroom smelled cigarette smoke and perfume, according to the FBI.
The twins continued to scream and yell profanity at each other and nearby passengers, according to the FBI. And they got up to use the bathroom again.
At that point, Cynthia Mikula told her sister that she needed to leave the plane and threatened to open a door, according to the FBI.
"I've gotta get out of here. Let me off this airplane. I've gotta smoke. You've gotta open this door," she said.
One of 18 flight attendants on board tried to calm the girls, but Cynthia Mikula struck her on the nose, causing it to bleed. The flight attendant -- who later told an FBI agent the punch "hurt like hell" -- left the twins near the bathrooms.
One of the four pilots then escorted the sisters to their assigned seats and sat in the aisle seat next to them. Cynthia Mikula, in the window seat, eventually reached over her sister and punched the captain on the head, the FBI said.
The pilot then left the girls alone.
Another flight attendant tried to calm the twins, but Cynthia Mikula struck him in the face too, the FBI said. She continued to swing at other flight attendants, spitting on one of them.
Cynthia Mikula phoned her mother, and after speaking with her threw the telephone against a wall, according to the FBI. She kept on swinging at the crew, eventually causing one to lock her wrists and ankles in plastic restraints, similar to handcuffs. She was laid on the floor, cursing still.
As crew members restrained her sister, Crystal Mikula screamed, yelled, jumped on a flight attendant's back and put him in a choke hold, according to the FBI.
By this time, the 747-400 jet was 2,200 miles from Tokyo and 1,100 miles from Anchorage. The four pilots opted to land the plane in Anchorage. The Mikula sisters were escorted off the plane by authorities at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at 10 p.m. Thursday.
The other passengers were taken to hotels. They were offered the chance to tour Anchorage or Portage Glacier on Friday.
The United flight was scheduled to leave Anchorage Friday evening for Shanghai, but without the twins. They will remain at the Sixth Avenue Jail until at least Wednesday, when a federal magistrate has scheduled a preliminary hearing.
The young women -- tall, slender, red-haired -- appeared in court separately Friday afternoon wearing navy blue jail suits and reading glasses, and looking like they had had a very long night. Cynthia Mikula winced when authorities removed handcuffs. Her arms were covered with bruises.
Both sisters told Magistrate John Roberts that they were not employed and could not afford attorneys. Crystal Mikula said she had about $17 and no credit cards.
"All I have is my clothes. That's all in my suitcase," she said.
Cynthia Mikula said she had $130 and a car in Michigan that has been totaled twice. The twins also make payments to their father for a $10,000 loan he helped secure them so they could move to California, she said.
The sisters appear to have developed a bit of a reputation in their hometown, where former teachers described them as talented but troublesome.
"They're feisty. If they get mad at each other, they'll fight each other. They're very strange girls, but they had a lot of potential," said Peter Newell, the administrator of alternative education at Mesick Consolidated School in Buckley, a school for difficult students from which the Mikulas graduated in 1996. Newell said. "Their language (on the plane) -- I can imagine what it turned into, a free-for-all."
Newell also called the sisters "extremely intelligent young ladies" who tutored other Mesick students.
"Where did they learn to manage their anger?" he wondered. "Screaming at each other, pulling their hair out -- there's a long history."
"They have not been good citizens for a long time," said Sandy Kellogg, a secretary at the K-12 Buckley Community School, another school the sisters attended. The girls were on the honor roll and competed on the track team, Kellogg said.
"They were very productive young ladies, and then they started hanging around with the wrong crowd," she said.
Reporter Molly Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 907-257-4343. Peter Porco can be reached at [email protected] or 907-257-4582.
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WHAT'S GONE WRONG?
These people need to be taught to respect the law, it was put there for everybodys safety.
It's time to start doling out some proper sentences for these "nearly humans" can you imagine if the F/A was your sister, wife, daughter?
The first few who get 20 years or lose their passport for good (yes, in UK the courts have the power to take your passport away...FOREVER) I think we would see them sitting quietely at the back.
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These people need to be taught to respect the law, it was put there for everybodys safety.
It's time to start doling out some proper sentences for these "nearly humans" can you imagine if the F/A was your sister, wife, daughter?
The first few who get 20 years or lose their passport for good (yes, in UK the courts have the power to take your passport away...FOREVER) I think we would see them sitting quietely at the back.
32