A man who was thought the be a hijacker during the Winter Olympics turned out to be an idiot in a cape. The Finnish plane tried to hijack the plane using a Toblerone chocolate bar as a sword as he demanded the plane go to Sochi so he could see the Winter Games.
Antti Oskari Manselius, 23, from Finland, might have thought he'd be more convincing by wrapping two economy class blankets around his head and a third as a cape as he waved the candy bar around and marched toward the cockpit on the February 14 Cathay Pacific flight, the South China Morning Post reported.
On a more serious note, Manselius also made a false bomb threat and said he was going to rob the plane during the flight from Amsterdam to Hong Kong.
Despite his threats, Manselius pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct and giving false information about a bomb when he appeared in court on Thursday.
Manselius claims he was just trying to entertain the other passengers by having fun and making jokes.
In court, two flight attendants said they saw the man go towards the cockpit as he had the blankets wrapped around his head and back. They said he was trying to use the Toblerone as a sword.
"He said, 'I am robbing the plane now. I want to see the Olympics in Sochi and I need to get off the plane now,';attendant Leung Hiu-lun was quoted as telling the court. "He was furious. He made me feel like he was trying to endanger the aircraft."
Besides waving the candy around like a sword, Leung says the man wasn't violent. Leung says he told Manselius that the flight was a direct flight and would not be making a stop in Russia.
Manselius' antics got him handcuffed after the captain ordered him to be restrained.
"A Finnish passenger, a former policeman and an aircrew safety trainer handcuffed Manselius with the help of a cabin crew manager. They also cuffed his legs and fastened his chest with an extra seatbelt," the Post said.
Manselius eventually fell asleep on the plane. Once the plane landed in Hong Kong, he was arrested and was sent to a psychiatric center.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
