Federal authorities have charged a former Southwest Airlines pilot with indecent exposure for an incident they say occurred during a flight last August.
Michael Haak was the pilot in command of the plane during a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando, Florida, according to a single-page filing in federal district court in Maryland.
According to the document, which was dated Friday, Haak exposed his genitals in acts that "began, continued and were completed" while flight 6607 on 10 August was in the air. The document did not indicate the circumstances and who might have witnessed the incident. However, the filing in Maryland stated that Haak was the "pilot in command" of the aircraft.
A Southwest spokeswoman said no passengers witnessed the incident; the pilots were the only people aboard aware of the incident.
"The Pilot in question is no longer Employed by Southwest Airlines and departed the Company last year prior to us becoming aware of the matter. The event was recently brought to our attention and we've cooperated with the appropriate outside agencies as they investigate. Southwest Airlines takes all matters related to workplace conduct very seriously, with a well-defined policy and reporting process for harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation claims," said a spokesperson for the airline.
