Guilty plea in jetliner terror
Flight diverted to T.0.
May 10, 2002

By BRODIE FENLON, TORONTO SUN

BRAMPTON -- A French national who forced a passenger jet to land in Toronto during a terrorism scare has been sentenced to another 20 months in jail.

Yuri Nicolas Kanounnikoff, 29, of no fixed address, has been in custody since Oct. 27, 2001, when the British Airways flight he was aboard was diverted to Pearson airport after the pilots sent out a distress call.

Kanounnikoff pleaded guilty to mischief, endangering an aircraft and uttering death threats.

Justice Peter Wilkie said written reasons for his sentence will be available next week.

Police said the disturbance happened about 7 1/2 hours into the London-to-Dallas flight, when Kanounnikoff began chanting and banging his head against the seat.

The man fashioned a parachute out of a sleeping bag.

Police said he made comments about terrorists, "the God of Muslims," punishment and the deaths of passengers, before he was restrained by the crew.

JETS ON STANDBY

Canadian CF-18s, which had been patrolling the airspace following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, were put on standby.

The plane landed safely and Kanounnikoff was arrested.

The New York Daily News reported that Titanic star Kate Winslet was on board with her infant daughter Mia when the plane was diverted.

Court heard that Kanounnikoff was a well-educated man who had been using cocaine daily for a month before the flight.

He told police he had gone without food or sleep for fours days and had begun having visions.

Source: Canoe.ca