Authorities arrested and charged a man on July 3 with indecent exposure after he allegedly revealed himself during an American Airlines flight, and then urinated in the aisle.
According to the Justice Department, the accused is Neil McCarthy, 25, of Oregon. The United States Attorney’s Office of the Western District of New York claimed the incident caused the flight to make an emergency landing at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
People.com noted that the plane initially traveled from Chicago, Illinois to Manchester, New Hampshire. The source claims McCarthy told police he drank several “Jack and Cokes” before his Portland, Oregon takeoff, and more during his layover in Chi-Town.
The passenger reportedly has a “medical urination problem” he noted was relevant to him “flicking the bean” in his seat during Flight 3921 to Manchester. Police claimed to have obtained a photo that another passenger took of McCarthy indisposed mid-flight.
How Did American Airlines Handle The Passenger Exposing Himself?
In Buffalo, an officer reportedly apprehended McCarthy and removed him from the plane after hearing details of the incident from a flight attendant. American Airlines allegedly said the flight’s diversion “was due to a disruptive customer.” Notably, Envoy Air operated the flight.
“We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding,” American Airlines noted.
McCarthy was released on his own recognizance after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy on July 3. If convicted, the allegedly belligerent passenger faces up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine. His next court date—an attorney appointment hearing—is reportedly July 25.
In June, The Chicago Tribune reported that a woman filed a lawsuit against American Airlines for failing to protect her from an in-flight seatmate who allegedly got “uncontrollably drunk and loudly sexually harassed” her.
According to the New York Post, a rowdy American Airlines passenger urinated on another flyer during a flight from New York City to Delhi, India in April 2023. The same incident on the same American Airlines route reportedly also happened the month prior.
