A 29-year-old man faces federal charges after allegedly assaulting a flight attendant and attempting to exit an American Airlines plane mid-air on November 19, 2024. Abdul-al-Jabbar Oloruntoba Olaiya of Collingwood, Ontario, has been federally charged with interfering with a flight crew by assault or intimidation, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Leigha Simonton.
The incident took place during a flight from Milwaukee to Dallas, approximately two hours into the trip. Court documents reveal that Olaiya, seated in first class and frustrated with a flight attendant working the forward galley, approached her and claimed he was the "captain of this flight" and demanded to "get off the plane." Witnesses reported hearing Olaiya’s aggressive comments before he allegedly charged the flight attendant and attempted to force open the aircraft's exit door.
In an effort to prevent Olaiya from reaching the door, the flight attendant, identified as S.J. in court filings, used her body to shield the exit. During the altercation, she sustained injuries to her wrist and neck. Several able-bodied passengers intervened, subduing Olaiya and restraining him with duct tape around his wrists and ankles.
With only about 30 minutes remaining in the flight, the flight crew opted to continue to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). Pilots called the tower for priority landing and began preparations to land. Upon landing at DFW, FBI agents and the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety boarded the plane, where Olaiya was taken into custody.
Olaiya was subsequently transported for a mental evaluation, while the injured flight attendant was taken to a hospital for medical treatment. The flight was delayed, but no additional passengers were injured.
If convicted of the charges, Olaiya faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting the case.
