- A 25-year-old man exposed himself and urinated in the aisle of an American Airlines flight, law enforcement said.
- Authorities said the man was arrested and charged with indecent exposure on July 3.
- The incident is the latest in a long line of incidents involving unruly passengers on commercial flights.
An American Airlines flight was diverted this week after authorities said a 25-year-old man exposed himself and urinated in the aisle of the plane mid-flight.
The Oregon man was arrested and charged with indecent exposure following Wednesday’s incident, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
American Airlines Flight 3921, operated by Envoy Air, was traveling from Chicago to Manchester, New Hampshire, on July 3, the airline told Business Insider in a statement.
Crew members aboard the plane later told authorities that the man exposed himself and urinated in the aisle of the plane, forcing the flight to divert from its original destination and land at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Local law enforcement was called to the gate and took the man into custody, American Airlines said. The flight resumed operations shortly afterward.
“We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding,” an airline spokesperson said.
The man appeared in court Wednesday and was released on bail, according to the prosecutor’s office. The charge he faces carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Wednesday’s incident is just the latest in a growing list of incidents involving unruly passengers on commercial flights that have increased since the start of the pandemic.
In December, a passenger on an Air New Zealand flight was fined for urinating in a cup during a delayed disembarkation. In 2023, a 21-year-old student was banned from future American Airlines flights after urinating on another passenger.
