FAA Probes Steamy High School Grad Flight

PORTLAND, Ore. —  The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a high school charter flight to Mexico that passengers say degenerated into a wet T-shirt contest staged by a crew member and howling boys, with girls dancing in the aisle and parading into the cockpit.

“Some water for contestant No. 5. . . . She’s dry!” the male flight attendant is heard saying on a shaky video taken by one of the boys.

“We’re not going to land this plane until you girls get wet,” students also heard the flight attendant say. “We’ve only got so much fuel.”

About 150 high school students from across the Northwest booked the Falcon Air flight June 11 to celebrate graduation, without teachers or chaperons. Many on board said the revelry escalated after the Boeing 727 touched down in Mazatlan, with a weeklong binge of fake orgasm contests, booze cruises and coed swimsuit-switching races.

In addition to the FAA inquiry, the state is probing the company that organized the trip.

One of those in the wet T-shirt contest, 18-year-old Mickel Bitle, said the girls spent about 15 minutes in the cockpit and that the pilots helped judge the contestants.

It is against FAA regulations for passengers to enter the cockpit during a flight.

Jose Lazaga, executive vice president of Miami-based Falcon Air, declined to comment.

Officials with Cerkvenik-Anderson Travel Inc., which organized the trip under the name Student Tours, did not return calls seeking comment.