Ex-US airline pilot admits lewd act in cockpit mid-flight

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A former US airline pilot has admitted committing a “lewd, indecent, or obscene act” during a flight last year.

Michael Haak, 60, exposed himself to the female first officer in the cockpit and watched pornography on a laptop, prosecutors said.

As the Southwest Airlines flight continued, Haak engaged in further “inappropriate conduct” in the cockpit.

A judge in Maryland sentenced him to one year’s probation and ordered him to pay a $5,000 (£3,500) fine.

The incident happened during a flight from Philadelphia International Airport to Orlando International Airport on 10 August 2020, the court heard.

When the flight reached cruising