Scheme Reminiscent Of Movie 'Catch Me If You Can'

An airline passenger is facing accusations of impersonating a pilot after boarding a Dragonair flight in Hong Kong dressed in a Cathay Pacific pilot uniform, and carrying a pass of some kind with the airline's logos.

The passenger, described as being between the ages of 18 and 20, claimed to be an off-duty pilot, according to a report from the U.K. newspaper The Daily Mail. But when he took photos of his food and ordered a cocktail, the crew began to suspect he was not what he claimed to be.

He told the flight crew he had just arrived from San Francisco, and that he wanted to be able to personally thank the crew of the A330 after it landed, asking to be allowed into the cockpit following the three-hour trip to Penang, Malaysia. But when he ordered a Bloody Mary, which is not on the airline's drink menu, and began taking photos of his food, the crew served a non-alcoholic drink and asked to see his pilot ID. He said it was in his checked luggage, but the crew didn't buy it, and alerted the ground crew and Malaysian immigration authorities.

If indeed the young man was trying to emulate the movie "Catch Me if You Can" ... well ... he got caught. The Daily Mail reports that he has not been charged by Malaysian authorities. He was treated as an "inadmissible passenger" and sent back to Hong Kong. It is not known whether he will face charges there. Chinese aviation officials said they would be contacting Dragonair about the incident.

FMI: www.caac.gov.cn/en/SY