Unruly American Airlines passengers face 20 years in prison

On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, the Justice Department announced that it would file charges against a man who attempted to exit a plane in mid-air during a scheduled American Airlines flight last week. This man, identified in Department of Justice (DOJ) documents as Abdul-al-Jabbar Oloruntoba Olaiya, was charged federallysaid U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Charges have been filed against the 29-year-old man, who suffered minor injuries as a result of the incident Interfering with a flight crew by causing bodily harm or intimidation on board an aircraft subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. According to court documents, the incident in question occurred on November 19, approximately two hours into a flight from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

For more details on this incident, please see Simple Flying’s original report on the incident. American Airlines has not yet responded to Simple Flying’s request for comment on the matter.

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The charges filed today could lead to a lengthy trial

The charges filed are a criminal complaint that serves as an allegation of criminal conduct but does not necessarily constitute evidence. The Justice Department described the situation in a public press release as follows:

“A criminal complaint is simply an allegation of criminal behavior, not evidence. Mr. Olaiya is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”

If convicted by a jury, Olaiya faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fallas Fort Worth International Airport Public Safety Department conducted the investigation, which took place last week. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas has been identified as the prosecutor for this case.

Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock

The details of the incident are now clearer

In previous reports, the exact details of how this incident occurred remained somewhat unclear. However, recent DOJ documents have helped clarify some outstanding questions about what exactly happened on board.

During the incident, Mr Olaiya was reportedly unhappy with a flight attendant who was working in the front galley. The exact reasons for this are not yet entirely clear. According to witness accounts obtained by police officers, Olaiya told the flight attendant that he was “captain of this flight” and that he needed to “get off the plane,” rhetoric that led to her putting herself between the unruly passenger and the door presented.

Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock

According to DOJ documents, that’s when Olaiya attacked the flight attendant, who was shielding the floor from the passenger and was injured in the ensuing altercation as he attempted to open the plane door. Several other passengers rushed to the flight attendant’s aid and subdued Olaiya with tape on his wrists and ankles.

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The aircraft, which was only about 30 minutes from Dallas at the time, decided to continue its approach and requested a priority landing and a taxi from the tower. After the plane landed, Olaiya was immediately taken out of the cabin by police officers and underwent a medical examination.