Federal charges filed against "disruptive" passenger who injured flight attendant on flight headed to DFW
NORTH TEXAS – A man who injured a flight attendant while trying to exit a plane during a mid-air flight from Milwaukee to Dallas has been identified and federally charged.
Abdul-al-Jabbar Oloruntoba Olaiya, 29, faces charges of interfering with a flight crew through assault or intimidation under the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
There have been over 1,800 incidents involving unruly passengers so far in 2024, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA takes legal action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or disrupts airline crew members. They can impose civil penalties of up to $37,000 for each violation.
Court documents allege that on Nov. 19, roughly two hours into the flight, Olaiya became frustrated with a flight attendant working in the forward galley.
Witnesses reported hearing him tell the flight attendant that he was the "captain of this flight" and needed to "get off the plane."
He then allegedly charged at the flight attendant to reach the aircraft's exit door. The flight attendant, identified in court documents as S.J., used her body to block the door and sustained injuries during the scuffle.
Other passengers were able to subdue Olaiya, duct-taping his wrists and ankles. With only about 30 minutes remaining on the flight, the pilots proceeded to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), alerting the tower for a priority landing.
After landing, law enforcement removed Olaiya from the plane and took him in for a medical evaluation.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.