According to authorities, a passenger was wrapped in duct tape after trying to open the plane door mid-flight. He faces federal charges

An unruly passenger accused of trying to force open an airplane door mid-flight last week and injure a flight attendant – prompting fellow passengers to tape him up – has been charged in federal court, a federal prosecutor said.

Abdul-al-Jabbar Oloruntoba Olaiya, 29, was charged with being a flight crew in connection with actions he is alleged to have committed on a November 19 flight from Milwaukee to Dallas, according to the office of the U.S. attorney from North Texas The district announced on Tuesday that they had caused physical harm or intimidation.

The dispute over American Airlines Flight 1915 is the latest example of blatant passenger misconduct, a problem that has worsened for airlines since before the pandemic. At least 1,854 incidents have been reported to the Federal Aviation Administration this year.

The Nov. 19 incident began when the defendant told a flight attendant he wanted – he needed – to “get off the plane 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

As the man became more agitated and the situation became more tense, the flight attendant called to the back of the plane and signaled to nearby passengers for help, the public safety report said.

Olaiya accused the flight attendant of gaining access to an airplane door that the flight attendant tried to protect with her body, federal prosecutors said. According to the public safety report, she injured her neck and wrist during the encounter.

“Disabled passengers rushed to assist her,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in its news release. “They overpowered Mr. Olaiya and bound his wrists and ankles with duct tape.”

Doug McCright told CNN affiliate WDJT that he was a passenger on the plane and hugged Olaiya from behind, pinning him to the ground. The interveners held him for the duration of the flight – about 30 minutes – according to the public safety report and a report posted online by McCright.

“He was determined to get off the plane,” McCright told WDJT. “I was determined that he would not leave the plane.”

Because the plane was near its destination, the pilots decided to continue to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

After the plane landed safely, officers from the FBI and the airport’s public safety department boarded, 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 was unable to identify an attorney for Olaiya. The FBI said it arrested Olaiya and he made his first court appearance.

If convicted, Olaiya could face up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“The safety of our customers and team members is our top priority and we thank our team members and customers for navigating a difficult situation,” American Airlines said in a statement to CNN.

Unruly passengers were a serious problem for airlines before the pandemic – and now it’s even worse.

The FAA has a zero-tolerance policy toward unruly passenger behavior, which reached a record high in 2021 with nearly 6,000 incidents reported. Reports have dropped significantly since then, but more than 2,000 incidents still occurred in 2023, according to the FAA. In 2023, just over 400 enforcement actions were taken and $7.5 million in fines were imposed on such passengers.

Just last month, a man was charged with unprovoked beating of a passenger aboard a United Airlines flight after repeatedly punching the person until blood was drawn.

In September, a passenger aboard a Frontier Airlines flight allegedly tried to choke a flight attendant and “said he was going to kill everyone.” The plane was diverted and the man pleaded not guilty, according to court records.

CNN’s Josh Campbell, Christine Sever, Pete Muntean and Marnie Hunter contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account at CNN.com