#Michael haak southwest airlines simulator

He pleaded guilty last year to a federal misdemeanor charge of committing a lewd, indecent or obscene act and was sentenced to probation. She also alleges that the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association conspired with the airline and refused to support her. (AP) - A Southwest Airlines pilot is suing the company, her union and a former colleague who pleaded guilty last year to dead-bolting the cockpit door during a flight and stripping naked in front of her.Ĭhristine Janning alleges that Southwest retaliated by grounding her after she reported Michael Haak to the company and the FBI, that it kept him employed despite an alleged history of sexual misconduct and that managers disparaged her in memos. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. She said that when she contacted the union, its leaders did nothing to help her but did write a letter to Haak’s judge during his misdemeanor case saying he had a “spotless” record.Ĭopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

She said a Southwest manager sent a memo to more than 25 employees “that made baseless allegations” about her flying competency. She also said that on the day she was grounded, the airline stranded her in Denver and the FBI had to book her a United Airlines flight so she could return home to Florida.

#Michael haak southwest airlines simulator

She was then required to take “unnecessary” flight simulator training before she could work again. Janning said as retaliation for the FBI report, she was grounded for more than three months, costing her part of her salary. She alleges Southwest had sent Haak to a Montreal sexual harassment counseling center after a 2008 incident with a flight attendant. Janning then went to the FBI, who charged Haak. Janning says she was soon told that because Haak had retired, the airline’s investigation was closed. She said she asked the investigator not to inform her boss, but she did. She said she waited because her boss had disparaged her to a male colleague previously. Meanwhile, Janning didn’t report the incident to a Southwest employee relations investigator until three months later. Janning said in the lawsuit that she was “horrified,” but she kept flying the plane while taking photos “to create a record.” The plane landed safely.Īnd that wasn’t Haak’s final flight - he flew for three more weeks. Janning’s attorney, Frank Podesta, denied she encouraged Haak or made any advances. He said Haak rejected those and adamantly denied a lewd act occurred.Īt his sentencing hearing last year, Haak called the incident “a consensual prank” that got out of hand. When he replied he wanted to fly naked, she told him to go ahead and then made sexual advances after he disrobed, Salnick said.

Salnick said it was Janning who asked Haak if there was anything he wanted to do before retiring.

He then put the plane on autopilot, stripped off his clothes, began watching pornography on his laptop and committed a lewd act for 30 minutes while taking photos and videos of himself. She said he bolted the door so no flight attendant could enter.

Janning said that when they reached cruising altitude, Haak told her this was his final flight and there was something he wanted to do before retirement. Janning believes that’s because he saw a woman was the scheduled co-pilot. She says Haak, a 27-year veteran of the airline, had used his seniority rights the previous day to bump another pilot who had been scheduled to command the flight. According to the lawsuit filed last week in Orange County, Florida, Janning had never met Haak before August 2020, when she was his co-pilot on a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando.