French man found in plane's cockpit to leave U.S.

June 18, 2013, 3:50 p.m. ET

Philippe Jeannard impersonated an airline employee
He gained access to a plane at Philly airport
He was sentenced Tuesday om federal court

Philippe Jernnard, 61, of La Rochelle, France, was arrested at Philadelphia International Airport and charged with impersonating a pilot after airline officials found him in the cockpit of a U.S. Airways plane. He has been asked to leave the country.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A French man who gained access to the cockpit of a plane at Philadelphia International Airport by impersonating an airline employee has been sentenced to time served and will be deported.

Sixty-one-year-old Philippe Jernnardwas sentenced Tuesday in federal court after pleading guilty to fraud.

Jeannard is from La Rochelle, France. He's been in custody since March 21, one day after authorities say he unsuccessfully sought a seat upgrade on a Florida-bound flight and then used a fraudulent Air France ID card to enter the cockpit. He was found sitting in the jump seat behind the pilot.

His lawyer has said he never meant to cause any problems.

A judge says Jeannard won't be permitted back into the United States without written permission from the secretary of Homeland Security.

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