SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — An incident involving a former Delta Airlines pilot who allegedly threatened another pilot with a gun is raising questions about mental health and oversight for those authorized to carry firearms on planes.
Jonathan J. Dunn was indicted by a grand jury in Utah on October 18 and is set to be arraigned in federal court in Salt Lake City on November 16.
Prosecutors say Dunn, whose last address was in Marysville, California, used his gun during a flight on August 22, 2022 to “assault and intimidate” the captain after the two argued about whether to divert the flight due to a passenger’s medical emergency.
Delta says Dunn is no longer employed at the airline.
“It’s very concerning, but it brings up a bigger issue which is ultimately mental health and the mental health of pilots,” said Ross Feinstein, a former TSA press secretary. “The concern is that pilots don’t want to disclose a mental health issue because immediately, they’re ultimately pulled off the line if that occurs.”
Transportation officials say Dunn was a Federal Flight Deck officer, which is a pilot who’s authorized to carry a gun for security.
“This is a very strange case and likely, very likely a one-off circumstance,” said Kris Van Cleave, senior transportation correspondent for CBS News. “But there are a lot of questions.”
This incident also comes after another pilot riding in an Alaska Airlines cockpit allegedly tried to shut down the engines mid-flight, raising questions about support and treatment for pilots.
“Is there a stigma or disincentive for them seeking help or reporting that they’re seeking help that maybe needs to be rethought in light of incidents like these,” said Van Cleave.
Outside Salt Lake International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, Kiteah Anderson and her family reacted to the news. They had just flown Delta from Boise and were en route soon to Houston.
“It’s definitely scary to think that it could happen,” Anderson said.
Her mother, Debbie Anderson, said she thinks the former pilot needs to be held accountable, but that the program allowing pilots to carry needs to stay.
“It’s the person, it’s not the gun, as far as I’m concerned,” she said.
Robert Katz, a Texas-based commercial pilot and flight instructor, told KUTV 2News the incident is “unfathomable,” and he’s grateful no one was hurt.
“The deeper issue is how did the possible evolving deterioration of this copilot’s mental health go unnoticed by the airline and the FAA as every airline pilot is required to recertify their mental and physical fitness to fly every 6 months,” Katz said in an email. “What does this say about the veracity of the airline’s and FAA’s effectiveness at screening for those issues? How many more burning short fuses and loose cannons are still flying today?”