Jonathan J. Dunn has been indicted as of October 18 for interfering with the crew of a commercial airline flight, as confirmed by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General in a news release.
The incident transpired on August 22, 2022, while Dunn served as the crew’s first officer.
“After a disagreement about a potential flight diversion due to a passenger medical event, Dunn told the captain they would be shot multiple times if the captain diverted the flight,” the statement said. “[Dunn] did assault and intimidate a crew member of an aircraft, thereby interfering with the performance of the duties of the crew member and lessening the ability of the crew member to perform those duties, and did use a dangerous weapon in assaulting and intimidating the crew member.”
Dunn was permitted to carry a firearm through the Transportation Security Administration’s Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program, authorities said.
Under the FFDO program, FFDOs are granted authorization by the Transportation Security Administration to carry their TSA-issued firearm and equipment on board an aircraft to safeguard the flight deck against criminal violence or air piracy. The TSA has since revoked Dunn’s participation in the program and he was fired.
The investigation is being led by the DOT’s Office of the Inspector General, in collaboration with the FBI and with support from the Federal Aviation Administration.
