CA Pilot Threatens To Shoot Captain Mid Delta Flight, Indictment Says

CALIFORNIA — A California man piloting a Delta Airlines plane has been indicted for assaulting his captain mid-flight to prevent him from diverting the plane because of a passenger's medical emergency, investigators announced this week.

Pilot Jonathan J. Dunn was indicted Oct. 18 with one count of interference with a flight crew by a grand jury in Utah. According to federal authorities, the armed pilot threatened to shoot his captain multiple times during the flight. Dunn interfered with the performance of a crew member and used a "dangerous weapon" to intimidate the captain, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. It's the second time this month that a California pilot made headlines for allegedly threatening the lives of passengers or crew members.

"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," transportation officials said in a statement.

Authorities did not reveal if the plane was eventually diverted nor the fate of the passenger in medical distress.

RELATED:

• Pilot Took Psychedelic Mushrooms Before He Tried To Cut Engines: DOJ
• Pilot Tries To 'Disrupt' Engines, Faces Attempted Murder Charges: PD

Dunn faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of interfering with a flight crew member and a possible life sentence for using a dangerous weapon to intimidate the crew member.

U.S. officials said Dunn was authorized to carry a gun aboard the plane through the Transportation Security Administration's Federal Flight Deck Officer program. The TSA told the Washington Post Dunn was immediately removed from the program and the gun was taken.

Dunn is no longer working for Delta, the airline told the Post. No additional details about injuries or the circumstances of the incident were available.

Dangerous behavior from pilots has recently created unsafe situations for additional flight crews and passengers. Just last week, an off-duty pilot on an Alaska Airlines flight headed to San Francisco was arrested after he attempted to shut off the plane's engine mid-flight, according to authorities. He was arrested and booked on suspicion of 83 counts of attempted murder and reckless endangerment.

See related: Pilot Tries To 'Disrupt' Engines, Faces Attempted Murder Charges: PD

An arraignment for Dunn is scheduled for Nov. 16.