Mr. Jonathan J., who lives in California. Dunn was convicted in Utah state court on October 18 of interfering with crew duties on a commercial flight.
During the flight in August 2022, Mr. Dunn, then the co-pilot, was accused of threatening and obstructing crew members by using gunshots, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General. Captain.
Delta Air Lines (USA) aircraft. Photo: Reuters
The statement said the incident occurred when a passenger on the flight suffered a “medical incident” and the captain requested a flight diversion.
Mr. Dunn is allowed to carry a gun under the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) program to equip civilian airline pilots to prevent violence or hijacking (known as FFDO). According to ABC News, the TSA said in a statement on November 1 that they were “aware” of last year’s incident.
The two-page indictment filed in Utah state court alleges that Mr. Dunn used a dangerous weapon to attack and threaten crew members.
The TSA said Mr. Dunn has been removed from the FFDO program, but could not comment further due to the ongoing investigation.
Delta Air Lines and the prosecutor’s office in Salt Lake City, Utah also declined to comment beyond the information provided in the indictment.
A Delta Airlines spokesperson confirmed to CBS News that Mr. Dunn worked for the airline at the time of the incident but is no longer an employee of the airline.
Felicia Martínez, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, also told CBS News that at this stage, she cannot share more information to avoid jeopardizing the case.
It is still not clear for what purpose the above action was taken. The Department of Transportation is investigating the incident with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Interfering with a crew member’s duties by assault or threatening is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The hearing is to be held on November 16.
