Witness Nick Ruiz filmed the baggage handler and uploaded the footage to TikTok, where it has garnered over 4 million views and more than 365,000 likes. Nick Ruiz was flying home from Los Angeles after a short vacation and ended up on the same plane as the guitars, with the closest plane being flight JFK to LAX B777. Airline policies on musical instrument liability vary by trip type, with most airlines having specific policies set in their 'Contract of Carriage'.
Some airlines disclaim liability altogether for loss of or damage to musical instruments on domestic trips, but on international trips, airlines are usually prohibited by treaty from disclaiming liability for baggage they actually carry. LAX is California's busiest airport, servicing more than 5 million passengers a month. In a separate incident, Thomas Jesse Bingham, 35, was arrested after attacking a TSA agent at LAX on Sunday, accusing him of taking his bag, including his passport, ahead of his flight to Las Vegas.
The attack occurred at around 9:25am between Terminals 6 and 7, and Bingham allegedly grabbed the agent's uniform, yanked his ID lanyard, pulled his hair, and slammed him into a parked United Airlines golf cart and a glass wall. The TSA agent tackled Bingham to the ground until officers arrived, complained of pain in his hand and back, and sought medical attention. Airport police found Bingham's bag and passport at a restaurant in Terminal 7 that he had previously visited.
Bingham was detained and released but later arrested again on Monday as he was preparing to board a flight to the United Kingdom, and he appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon for his initial appearance, where a judge ordered his release. He surrendered his passport, and his arraignment is scheduled for April 13 in Los Angeles, with a potential sentence of up to eight years if convicted.