Passenger Chokes Flight Attendant, Tries to Storm Cockpit

He Wanted Off the Plane. The Flight Was Still in the Air.

About 45 minutes after Frontier flight 3345 left San Juan, Puerto Rico, heading for Chicago, passenger Juan Gabriel Reyes, 51, stood up and told crew members he wanted off the plane. Then he tried to make it happen himself.

Reyes walked to an emergency exit door and began pulling at it. Flight attendants stopped him before he could open it.

What Happened Next

After being pulled away from the exit door, Reyes moved toward the cockpit. He put his shoulder against the pilot’s door and began shoving it repeatedly. An off-duty flight attendant who was traveling as a passenger stepped in and tried to guide him away from the door - and Reyes grabbed the attendant by the throat.

Other passengers on the flight moved quickly. Working with the on-duty crew, they used flex cuffs and seatbelt extenders to restrain Reyes in his seat. According to CNN, he broke free from the flex cuffs multiple times before the restraints held.

The Diversion to Miami

The crew made the call to divert. Flight 3345 landed at Miami International Airport at approximately 11:55 p.m. local time on Sunday, June 1. Law enforcement met the plane on the ground, and Reyes was taken into custody.

Josh Longood, a Chicago resident who was aboard the flight, helped physically restrain Reyes and spoke to local news after landing. The flight continued to Chicago-O’Hare several hours later without further incident.

The Charges

Juan Gabriel Reyes was charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants and assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction - both federal charges. The case falls under federal jurisdiction because the conduct occurred on a commercial aircraft in flight.

The off-duty flight attendant who was choked was not reported as hospitalized. No other injuries among passengers or crew were reported.

Why This Case Matters

In-flight attacks on crew members have drawn increasing federal attention in recent years. The FAA has referred a growing number of unruly passenger cases to the FBI for federal prosecution, and the penalties for interfering with a flight crew are substantially more severe than a standard assault charge.

A conviction on the interference charge alone can carry up to 20 years in federal prison. Reyes faces two federal counts, and the case will proceed through the federal court system.

For the passengers who spent part of their Sunday night wrestling a man to his seat at 30,000 feet, the flight eventually continued north. The plane landed in Chicago in the early hours of Monday morning.

References: Frontier Passenger Chokes Off-Duty Flight Attendant After Trying to Open Exit Door | Frontier Airlines Chicago Flight Diversion: Man Tries to Breach Cockpit