United Airlines pilot Kenneth Jones charged after taking ax to Denver airport car park barrier after hitting 'breaking point'
DENVER, COLORADO: A senior airline pilot seems to have reached his limit when he decided to use an ax to break a car park barrier that would not open.
The 63-year-old United Airlines pilot has been suspended and charged with criminal mischief after going nuclear at Denver International Airport in Colorado.
Who is Kenneth Jones?
Kenneth Jones is a United 757 and 767 pilot based in Denver. A video showed the uniformed pilot striding towards the barrier in the staff parking lot, carrying an ax that he reportedly had in his vehicle.
As onlookers pass by, he swung the ax at the gate 23 times until it finally broke and fell off its hinges. Adams County deputies said that he told them he had "just hit his breaking point" and was "trying to get rid of issues for everyone," per the Daily Mail.
Airport officials told CBS News Colorado that there was a problem of gate delays as many people did not have the proper permit.
Jones reportedly told the police that he launched his attack on August 2 after seeing six cars lined up at each of the three exit gates as he attempted to leave.
The airport footage showed a man in a high-visibility jacket grappling with the pilot in another area of the parking lot before successfully taking away the ax. A second man intervened before police nabbed him in a field near the runway.
While the Senate is considering raising the retirement age for pilots from 65 to 67, a measure that has already been approved by Congress, the international retirement age for pilots is currently 65. It is unclear whether Jones' outburst would have an impact on his pension.
Does Kenneth Jones have a criminal record?
Jones has no criminal record in Colorado. The video showed him being released from custody. However, he is scheduled to appear in Adams County Court on September 25 for an arraignment hearing.
A spokesman for the airline said, "He was removed from the schedule and is on leave while United conducts an internal investigation."