It was the band UB40 that once sang, "Red-red wine makes me feel so fine, makes me feel so fine - all of the time ..."
And red-red wine can make a flight change its path.
That was the case late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning as a Delta Air Lines flight from McCarran International Airport bound for New York City made an unscheduled landing at Denver International Airport. It seems an unruly passenger named Svetlana Yankovsky, who is also a moderately famous Russian Gypsy singer and dancer, disrupted the flight after sipping too enthusiastically from a bottle of red wine.
As reported Wednesday by the Rocky Mountain News, Yankovsky was nursing a bottle of vino as the plane was making its way out of Vegas. A flight attendant took away her binky - er, bottle - prompting an angry response from the 50-year-old folk artist.
Yankovsky demanded the return of her "red water" and started singing, chanting and touching other passengers.
According to an affidavit filed by an FBI agent, passengers began complaining and demanded action. But when flight attendants tried to settle Yankovsky down, she called out, "Not good, plane crash, all die."
The affidavit went on to note that "Yankovsky continued her erratic behavior by 'hexing' the aircraft, the crew and the other passengers. (She) was singing and chanting in the aircraft and saying that everyone was going to die, their children would die and their grandchildren would die."
As flight attendants attempted to subdue the impaired performer, one - Sandra McKibben - was slapped in the face. Yankovsky was arrested upon arrival in Denver, held overnight and released on her own recognizance. Last we heard she was taking a bus back to New York (she's not allowed to fly commercially for a while) and is to return to Denver on Tuesday for a court appearance.
What isn't certain is why Yankovsky was in Las Vegas (I'm thinking bachelor party), but Denver International Airport spokesman Steve Snyder did offer perspective during a phone interview Thursday afternoon.
"I have heard about unruly passengers," he said, "but I don't think we've ever had a passenger put a hex on a plane before."
NoteMart
More from Cloud 9: Several days ago we reported about a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Las Vegas that was disrupted by violent turbulence, which allegedly caused a Virgin flight attendant (er, a flight attendant who works for Virgin) to chant three times, "We're going to crash!"
Well, on Tuesday Virgin said it had completed its investigation into the Feb. 24 flight and found the allegations against the flight attendant could not be substantiated.
"The turbulence on this flight was unexpected and severe and Virgin Atlantic apologizes to passengers for any distress it may have caused," Virgin Chairman Richard Branson said in a statement ...
Stand-up guy: Radio station KSTJ 102-FM (Star 102.7) is raising money for Child Haven children's shelter and is asking Vegas celebs for a signed pair of pajamas for the cause. Flamingo headliner David Brenner responded to an e-mail request from DJ Beth Lano by saying that he has never worn PJs in his life, even as a child. But he did offer to use a marker to autograph his naked body and mail it to the station ...
Big move for Little Steven: More from radio, the outstanding "Underground Garage" Sunday night radio show hosted by Little Steven Van Zandt (of E Street Band and "Sopranos" fame) will move to the 7 p.m.-9 p.m. slot (it was airing from 10 p.m. to midnight) on KKLZ 96.3-FM. Van Zandt's approach is to play music "by the Ramones, or that inspired the Ramones, or that was inspired by the Ramones." ...
His ship has come in: Hilton headliner Barry Manilow - is there anything he can't do? - will appear on CNN's "Larry King Live" on April 21, and will debut NBC's "Today'' show's "Summer Concert Series" on May 12 by performing aboard the world's largest ship, the Royal Caribbean International's Freedom of the Seas, in New York Harbor ...
Ultimate hype and hysteria! A tribute to the biggest names in rock music, dubbed "Rock Show! The Ultimate Tribute Concert," is set for 8 p.m. Saturday at the Club at the Cannery. The performance pays tribute to assorted classic-rock acts (including the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Queen) and stars members of Vegas' favorite tribute band, Yellow Brick Road, and other local players. The cost is $19.95 ...
This doesn't help matters: The effort to educate the country about how to properly pronounce our state's name hit a snag Sunday with an episode of "The West Wing," when the election came down to "Ne-VAH-dah" ...
Well, Thursday we had BONDS25: Plate spotted on a white Dodge Durango, AGNT007.
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