Former Delta Pilot Charged with Threatening to Shoot Captain During Flight

Jonathan J. Dunn, aged 42 and a former First Officer with Delta Airlines from Rapid City, North Dakota, has been charged with interference with a flight crew. The incident that led to these charges occurred on a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake City on August 22, 2022. According to court documents, Dunn threatened to shoot the flight’s captain during a discussion about a possible diversion of the flight due to a passenger’s medical emergency.

The U.S. Department of Justice reported that Dunn, a former Federal Flight Deck Officer authorized by the TSA to carry a firearm for security purposes, objected to the captain’s contingency plan to divert the flight to Grand Junction, Colorado. Dunn is alleged to have detailed his intent to shoot the captain multiple times in response to the proposed diversion.

Delta Air Lines has confirmed that Dunn is no longer employed with the airline, and the TSA has revoked his authority to carry a gun onboard, removing him from the Federal Flight Deck Officer program. The case, which is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), is prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorney Michael Kennedy of the District of Utah. Dunn's initial court appearance was scheduled for January 4, 2024