The Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI) is looking into a ‘potential criminal act’ that reportedly occurred on an American Airlines flight.
On September 2, 2023, Massachusetts State Police (MSP) confirmed that it was contacted by American Airlines regarding an incident on Flight 1441, that had arrived in Boston from Charlotte in the United States (US).
In a statement police officials said the plane was then “met by MSP Troop F patrols and detectives, who initiated an investigation that determined that the alleged act in question occurred mid-flight”.
Accordingly, the FBI took over the investigation due to potential crimes that occur mid-flight falling under federal jurisdiction.
So far, in the investigation the FBI has only confirmed to local news channel WSCO-TV that agents attended the incident and that it had “no additional information to provide at this time”.
However, on September 4, 2023, Troop F, which has jurisdiction at Logan Airport, told WSCO-TV the investigation surrounded a “juvenile, a flight attendant, and a cell phone”.
A journalist for Boston 25 News also spoke with a first class passenger on the flight who has shed more light on the potential criminal act.
According to the passenger, he saw a teenage girl go to use the bathroom in the first class section of the plane, but she was stopped by a male flight attendant.
The passenger told Boston 25 News that he needed to wash his hands before the teenager used the bathroom. After the flight attendant finished the girl used the bathroom.
Shotly after, the mother of the teenager came up to the first class section and stopped another passenger from using the bathroom.
“The mom stopped that passenger from going to the bathroom and said ‘Wait, don’t go in there,” according to the passenger.
The passenger who spoke with the news channel claims the person who was prevented from going in the bathroom was told by the teenager’s mother that there was a “camera” in there.
“Police came on, and then staff from the airline came on and 3 or 4 different people checked the bathroom,” the witness said.
The passenger confirmed that a male flight attendant was led off the plane.
“We take this matter very seriously and are fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation, as safety and security are our highest priorities,” a spokesperson for American Airlines said.