A man allegedly attempted to storm the cockpit on a JetBlue flight and assaulted members of the flight crew in the process.
An FBI affidavit alleged that JetBlue passenger Khalil El Dahr assaulted the crew members on a flight from Boston to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday.
The story was first reported by The Daily Beast.
El Dahr caused the disturbance 45 minutes before the flight was set to land after he tried to make a call but was unsuccessful, according to the affidavit. He then allegedly ran toward the flight deck and shouted in Spanish to be shot.
A flight attendant then “corralled” El Dar into the area before the galley of the plane while a member of the flight crew in the cockpit opened their door. El Dahr saw the cockpit door open and allegedly began choking the flight attendant with his own tie, according to the FBI document.
The affidavit also detailed efforts by the passenger to kick the flight attendant in the chest. He also continued to yell for the flight crew officer to shoot him.
Eventually, six or seven flight attendants were able to restrain the man with makeshift handcuffs. El Dahr broke out of the first set of flex cuffs, but the crew used seat belt extenders and one of the flight attendant’s ties to restrain him.
El Dahr was arrested upon landing in Puerto Rico and is accused of an interference with flight crew members and attendants violation.
Unruly passenger incidents on airplanes have increased significantly during the pandemic, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Many of the violent situations have revolved around passengers fighting with flight staff about the use of masks.
The Hill has reached out to JetBlue for comment.