Former Delta pilot indicted after allegedly threatening to shoot captain during flight
Jonathan Dunn threatened shooting if flight was diverted, Department of Transportation says
A former Delta Air Lines pilot has been indicted by federal authorities for allegedly threatening to shoot a plane’s captain "multiple times" during a flight last year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The department’s Office of Inspector General said this week that Jonathan Dunn was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah on Oct. 18 for interfering with the crew of a commercial airline flight.
"The indictment alleges that, on or about August 22, 2022, Dunn, the crew’s First Officer, interfered with the performance of a crew member by using a dangerous weapon to assault and intimidate the Captain," it said in a statement. "Dunn was authorized to carry a firearm through the Transportation Security Administration’s Federal Flight Deck Officer program.
"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 Department of Transportation added.
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A Delta Air Lines passenger plane is seen in Washington, D.C., in February 2023. The airline told FOX Business that Dunn is "no longer employed at Delta." (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via / Getty Images)
The press release did not name the airline that Dunn was working for.
But in a statement to FOX Business, a Delta Air Lines spokesperson said, "Out of respect for the ongoing aviation authority investigation of this incident, Delta will refrain from commenting on this matter but will confirm that this First Officer is no longer employed at Delta."
The Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General also said it is conducting an investigation into the incident with help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Federal Aviation Administration.
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The Department of Transportation alleged Dunn threatened to shoot the captain of the flight if it was diverted. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via / Getty Images)
News of the indictment comes about a week after an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot pleaded not guilty to all charges after he allegedly tried to shut down a plane's engine mid-flight.
Alaska Airlines Capt. Joseph Emerson, 44, was charged after an incident on Oct. 22 where he allegedly tried to turn off the engine of a plane traveling from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco. The airline says he "unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines" of Alaska Airlines Flight 2059, which is operated by Horizon Air.
Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines are owned by Alaska Air Group.
Emerson pleaded not guilty last Tuesday in a Multnomah County, Oregon, courtroom to state-level charges, including 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft. He was sitting in the flight deck jump seat.
News of the incident emerges after an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot allegedly tried to shut down a plane's engine mid-flight. (David Middlecamp/San Luis Obsipo Tribune/Tribune News Service via / Getty Images)
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He's also facing a federal charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.
FOX Business' Adam Sabes contributed to this report.