A man who grabbed a female flight attendant’s breasts and then attempted to charge the cockpit during a SWISS International Air Lines flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Zurich has been sentenced to 10 months imprisonment and ordered to pay $73,000 in restitution.
The terrifying incident occurred on March 31, 2024, as SWISS flight LX19 was still in its initial ascent after takeoff. On board the packed Airbus A330 were 236 passengers and 13 crew members, who were all strapped into their seats as the seatbelt signs were still switched on.
According to prosecutors, Belgian national Jan Daeninck ignored the seatbelt signs and got up from his seat. Daeninck then walked up to a female flight attendant, grabbed both of her breasts, before shaking her and screaming in her face.
The flight attendant managed to free herself from Daeninck’s grip, but at that point, he sprinted towards the cockpit and tried to break into the flight deck, repeatedly kicking and punching at the bulletproof door.
A second flight attendant tried to stop Daeninck but was immediately set upon by the enraged suspect, who punched and kicked the crew member in the face and abdomen before other flight attendants raced to his assistance and managed to drag Daeninck off him.
As the flight attendants attempted to restrain Daeninck, he allegedly tried to repeatedly bite them while threatening to kill them.
The pilots declared an emergency and diverted back to Newark, as the crew members fought to restrain Daeninck on the floor of the galley close to the cockpit door.
On arrival, Daeninck was taken into custody, while the male flight attendant had to be transported to the hospital to receive treatment for the injuries he sustained during the assault.
Daeninck was charged with interfering with flight crew members around six months later, following an FBI investigation into the incident, although he later reached a plea deal for a charge of assaulting a flight attendant.
The maximum sentence of interference carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, whereas the charge he pleaded guilty to carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
“The defendant’s actions threatened the safety and security of innocent passengers, crew members, and the flight itself,” commented U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer, following Daeninck’s sentencing hearing.
“Violence against flight crew members and attempts to compromise aircraft security will not be tolerated. This sentence demonstrates that those who jeopardize flight safety will face serious consequences, including prison time.”
As well as the 10-month prison sentence and restitution payment, Daeninck has also been sentenced to one year of supervised release.
