On 4 November, a man identified as Sergey Vladimirovich Ochigava boarded an SAS Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Los Angeles (SK931, operated by Airbus A330-300 reg. LN-RKU) without a ticket or a passport, relying solely on Russian and Israeli identification cards. Upon his arrival in Los Angeles, he was detained and charged with being a stowaway on an aircraft.
During an interview with law enforcement, Ochigava claimed to possess a Ph.D. in economics and marketing and mentioned having unclear recollections of his travel details, including how he boarded the plane or his purpose in Copenhagen. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled for trial on 26 December.
Investigations revealed that Ochigava moved around the aircraft during the flight, displaying erratic behaviour, and engaged in peculiar actions, such as attempting to eat cabin crew chocolate and conversing with passengers who mostly ignored him.
Further scrutiny uncovered that he lacked proper international travel documents, although he possessed a Russian identification card for domestic use and an Israeli ID without evidence of having obtained the necessary authorisation for entry into the United States. Attempts to retrieve information from his phone offered little clarification about his travel intentions.
The incident has sparked concerns regarding airport security, leading Copenhagen Airport to collaborate with authorities to enhance security measures. Both SAS and airport officials have been cooperating with investigations into this unusual and puzzling occurrence.
