Witness Tells of Threat on Plane

An Iranian immigrant who allegedly threatened to “kill all Americans” during a flight to Toronto went on trial Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court.

Javid Naghani, a San Fernando Valley businessman, was arrested by SWAT officers who stormed the Air Canada plane on Sept. 27 after the pilot turned back to Los Angeles International Airport, escorted by two F-16 fighter jets.

In opening remarks to the jury, Assistant U.S. Atty. Elizabeth R. Yang said two flight attendants heard Naghani utter the threat after he was reprimanded for smoking in the lavatory, a violation of federal regulations.

“You do not know who I am,” Yang quoted the defendant as saying. “I will kill all Americans.”

Naghani’s lawyer said his client, who operates a janitorial service, was badly misquoted.

“All he ever said was, ‘I’m the president of Cleaning of America,’ ” attorney Theodore Flier told the jury. Flier contended that the flight crew overreacted because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Outside the jury’s presence, he also told U.S. District Judge Ronald S.W. Lew that the defense would attempt to show that the flight crew was prejudiced because Naghani “looked Middle Eastern.”

Flier told the jury that the 37-year-old Naghani was “stupid and wrong” to have smoked in the lavatory, but that he apologized after he was confronted by the flight crew.

However, the prosecution’s first witness, flight attendant Natasha Kecskemeti, 25, portrayed Naghani as angry and unapologetic.

Kecskemeti said, “I heard him clearly” threaten to kill Americans.

Kecskemeti said she telephoned the cockpit, telling the captain that a passenger had just made a terrorist threat against Americans and recommending “we should go back and land.”

Kecskemeti said she was wary of Naghani from the moment he boarded the plane with his wife and their pet dog on a trip to Canada.

The flight attendant said her supervisor had whispered to her that Naghani had been drinking in the airport lounge and might be drunk.

As the aircraft was climbing, she said, Naghani became fidgety, left his seat and went to the lavatory.

About three minutes later, she testified, the lavatory smoke alarm went off.

Naghani emerged from the smoke-filled lavatory clutching a pack of cigarettes, but at first denied having smoked, she said.

She said Naghani erupted with threats after being told that the pilot could return to Los Angeles and have him removed.

Naghani, who immigrated to the United States in 1979 and lives in Woodland Hills, has been convicted of illegal possession of a dagger, resisting arrest and reckless driving, all misdemeanors.

Naghani faces 79 to 121 months in prison if convicted of interfering with a flight crew.