WA Alaska Air Bomb Threat Hijacker Gets Federal Prison Term

A 40-year-old man will spend 22 months in prison for his role in diverting an Alaska Airlines flight with a bomb threat.

The man hijacked the plane July 5, of 2023

Richard R. Barker was sentenced in Spokane Federal court, and also given 3 years of probation.

The day of the hijacking, Barker was on an Alaska Airlines flight headed to Seattle. He handed a note to one of the hostesses that read in part (from the US Attorney's Office):

“There is a bomb on the plane. This is not a joke. Several pounds of homemade explosives are in my carry-on bag. I have a detonator with me. Handle this matter carefully and exactly how I say, otherwise I will detonate the explosives and kill everyone on board. You are to alert the pilot to this note and keep the issue to yourself. Many innocent lives are in your hands, do as I demand and everyone will live. Deviate and the consequences will be deadly for all of us. I have nothing left to lose.”

The instructions on the note also demanded the plane divert from Seattle to another airport, and the pilot headed to Spokane. Air traffic was held at Spokane International, causing significant delays and interruptions for a number of other flights.

Once on the ground Barker was arrested by authorities and admitted to the threat.