Pilot accused of threatening to shoot captain over possible distraction
A pilot was indicted last month for allegedly threatening to shoot his captain if the flight they were piloting was diverted because of a passenger’s medical needs, according to U.S. officials and court documents.
Federal court records show that a grand jury in Utah indicted the pilot, Jonathan J. Dunn, on October 18 and charged him with interfering with a flight crew on August 22, 2022.
According to the complaint, Mr. Dunn is accused of assaulting and intimidating a crew member and using a dangerous weapon. Court records did not specify the weapon, but the indictment stated that Mr. Dunn was authorized to carry a firearm on board.
The U.S. attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday and it was unclear whether Mr. Dunn had a legal representative.
The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General identified Mr. Dunn as the first officer of the crew from California. according to a short press release.
“After a disagreement regarding a possible flight diversion due to a medical event for passengers, Dunn told the captain that they would be shot multiple times if the captain diverted the flight,” the news release said.
The captain was not identified, nor were there any details about the flight’s route or what happened after landing. A Delta spokesperson confirmed that Mr. Dunn had been employed by the airline but was no longer employed. He did not want to provide other details.
The inspector general’s office said it is investigating the incident with the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Anyone who interferes with flight crews and flight attendants risks a prison sentence of up to twenty years. If a dangerous weapon is used in attacking or intimidating the member, the person may be sentenced to life in prison.
Unruly behavior by pilots has recently led to dangerous situations for flight crews and passengers.
Last month, an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to shut down the engines during a flight told investigators he had consumed psychedelic mushrooms. That pilot was charged in federal court with interference with crew members and escorts, and in circuit court with 83 counts of attempted murder and one count of endangering an aircraft.
Last year, a pilot was removed from the cockpit of a JetBlue flight and failed a sobriety test, which showed his blood alcohol content was more than four times the federal limit for pilots.
Similarly, in 2018, a Japan Airlines co-pilot pleaded guilty to exceeding the legal alcohol limit. The pilot admitted drinking two bottles of wine and five cans of beer hours before he was due to help pilot a flight to Tokyo from London.