Posted on: Thursday, May 5, 2005

Violent passenger says he remembers nothing

Advertiser Staff

A 50-year-old man who authorities say drank five or six bottles of champagne aboard a flight from Japan to Kona said yesterday he doesn't remember exactly what happened, but pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting two crew members.

Iwao Amano, a sushi chef who was coming here for a vacation, said he accepts responsibility for pinching one crew member and kicking another.

Amano was sentenced by federal Magistrate Leslie Kobayashi to the two days he already spent in custody and fined 50,000 yen, less than $500.

Alexander Silvert, first assistant federal public defender, said Amano drank too much alcohol — which was served to him without charge — and was sorry for his actions.

Silvert and Assistant U.S. Attorney Loretta Sheehan agreed to the sentence, which Kobayashi approved.

An FBI affidavit said Amano drank five or six bottles, which the lawyers said were the small size served aboard planes.

He initially was charged with five counts of assaulting crew members and interfering with the crew aboard the Japan Airlines flight from Narita to the Big Island Sunday and Monday, but the prosecutors and defense agreed to his pleading guilty to the two assault charges.

Amano was to be sent back to Japan yesterday.