CNN) — An unruly passenger accused of trying to force open a plane door and injuring an attendant mid-flight last week – prompting fellow passengers to duct-tape him – has been charged in federal court, a federal prosecutor’s office said.
Abdul-al-Jabbar Oloruntoba Olaiya, 29, was charged with interfering with a flight crew by assault or intimidation in connection with actions he’s accused of taking during a November 19 flight from Milwaukee to Dallas, the office of the US attorney from Texas’ northern district said Tuesday.
The tussle on American Airlines Flight 1915 is the latest example of apparent air passenger misbehavior – a problem that’s worsened for airlines since before the pandemic, with at least 1,854 incidents reported this year to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The November 19 incident began as the defendant told a flight attendant that he wanted – he needed – “to exit the aircraft now,” according to a report from the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Department of Public Safety.
Witnesses told law enforcement they heard Olaiya tell the flight attendant he was “captain of this flight,” the US attorney’s office said in a news release.
As the man grew agitated and the situation got more tense, the flight attendant called to the back of the plane and signaled to nearby passengers for help, the public safety report says.
Olaiya charged the flight attendant in an attempt to access an aircraft door, which the attendant tried to shield with her body, federal prosecutors said. She hurt her neck and wrist in the encounter, according to the public safety report.
“Able-bodied passengers rushed to assist her,” the US attorney’s office said in its news release. “They subdued Mr. Olaiya and duct-taped his wrists and ankles.”
Doug McCright told CNN affiliate WDJT that he was a passenger on the plane and bear-hugged Olaiya from behind and pinned him to the ground. The interveners held him down for the flight’s duration – about 30 minutes – according to the public safety report and an account McCright posted online.
“He was bound and determined, he wanted off that plane,” McCright told WDJT. “I was bound and determined, he wasn’t getting off that plane.”
Because the plane was close to its destination, the pilots decided to continue to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, the US attorney’s office said.
After the plane landed safely, FBI and airport Department of Public Safety agents boarded it, detained the passenger and took him for a mental evaluation, the public safety report said.
The FAA will investigate the incident aboard the Airbus A319, it told CNN.
CNN has been unable to identify an attorney for Olaiya. The FBI said it arrested Olaiya, and that he has made an initial court appearance.
If Olaiya is convicted, he would face up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the US attorney’s office.
“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we thank our team members and customers for managing a difficult situation,” American Airlines told CNN in a statement.
Unruly passengers posed a serious problem to airlines before the pandemic – and it’s even worse now.
The FAA has a zero-tolerance policy for unruly passenger behavior, which surged to a record high in 2021, with nearly 6,000 incidents reported. Reports have declined significantly since then, but 2023 still saw more than 2,000 incidents, FAA figures show. In 2023, just over 400 enforcement actions were initiated and $7.5 million in fines were levied against such passengers.
Just last month, a man was charged in the unprovoked beating of a passenger aboard a United Airlines flight after he repeatedly punched the person until blood was drawn.
In September, a passenger allegedly tried to choke a flight attendant and “said he was going to kill everybody” aboard a Frontier Airlines flight. The plane was diverted, and the man has pleaded not guilty to federal charges, court records show.
