Delta Air Lines announced on Wednesday that the pilot accused of threatening to shoot the plane’s captain during a flight is no longer employed by the airline. The pilot’s authority to carry a gun on board has also been revoked by federal officials.
Jonathan J. Dunn, the pilot, was indicted on October 18 and charged with interfering with a flight crew. The incident occurred during a flight in August 2022 when Dunn, who was the first officer or co-pilot, threatened to shoot the captain after a disagreement over diverting the flight to care for a passenger with a medical issue.
“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 airline stated.
The indictment in federal district court in Utah stated that Dunn “did use a dangerous weapon in assaulting and intimidating the crew member.”
Dunn was authorized by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to carry a gun on board under a program created after the September 2001 terror attacks. The TSA immediately removed Dunn from the program and took away his equipment upon learning of his actions.
Pilots must be vetted and attend training at a federal law enforcement center in New Mexico to become federal flight deck officers. Applicants must be U.S. citizens with a current pilot’s license, attend a one-week training course, and regularly pass a firearms test. Approved pilots are deputized as federal law enforcement officers and given a TSA-approved gun.
Interference with a flight crew is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Dunn is scheduled to be arraigned on November 16 in U.S. district court in Salt Lake City.
The incidents involving pilots have sparked a renewed debate about psychological screening for pilots. Ross Aimer, a retired airline pilot and CEO of an aviation consulting company, believes that mental health screening needs to be improved, as pilots are unlikely to volunteer information about their mental health due to fear of career consequences.
“If I mention something about having mental issues, I’m done. It’s punitive, whereas if I go to my supervisor or somebody at the airline and say, ‘I think I’m an alcoholic,’ we have programs that allow pilots to regain their licenses if they go through rehab and prove they are clean,” Aimer said.