Summary
- American Eagle flight AA 3921 was diverted to Buffalo (BUF) due to an alleged passenger’s indecent exposure and urination.
- The 25-year-old Oregon man was arrested, charged with indecent exposure, and released on his own recognizance.
- The flight resumed to its final destination at Manchester Boston Regional Airport (MHT) shortly after the diversion.
An American Eagle Embraer E170 regional jet, which was on its way to Manchester Boston Regional Airport (MHT), was forced to divert to Buffalo (BUF) because a passenger allegedly exposed himself and urinated in the aisle of the aircraft, according to a statement by the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York on July 3, 2024.
Charged with indecent exposure
The 25-year-old man from Oregon was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with indecent exposure. This carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a fine of $5,000.
Assistant US Attorney Charles M. Kruly stated that, according to the complaint, the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority (NFTA) Police were called to Gate 2 at Buffalo (BUF) on July 3, 2024. They were responding to a report from an American Eagle flight AA 3921 that a man had exposed himself and urinated in the aisle while the plane was in flight.
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Upon landing, an officer boarded the American Eagle Embraer E170 and spoke with a flight attendant, who reported that the Oregon man had exposed himself and urinated during the flight. The man in question was then taken into custody and escorted off the plane.
It is worth noting that, according to the DOJ, the defendant “made an initial appearance this afternoon before US Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was released on his own recognizance.”
Flight AA 3921
The flight was a routine two-hour American Eagle regional flight between Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Manchester Boston Regional Airport (MHT) on the airline’s Embraer E170 regional jet.
However, more than halfway into the flight, the aircraft diverted to Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) due to disruptive passengers. Here is what American Airlines said in a statement to Simple Flying:
“American Eagle flight 3921, operated by Envoy Air, with service from Chicago (ORD) to Manchester (MHT), diverted to Buffalo (BUF) due to a disruptive customer. The aircraft was met by law enforcement upon arrival at BUF and re-departed shortly after. We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”
Soon after the regional jet landed at BUF, the identical Embraer E170 took off to bring its passengers to their final destination at MHT. According to Flightradar24.com data, the flight between BUF and MHT lasted a total of 54 minutes. The aircraft landed without further incident.
The aircraft in question was one of the airline’s Embraer E170 regional jets, registered as N771JV. According to Planespotters.net, this regional jet is 18.9 years old and was initially operated by the now-defunct Ecuadorian airline Tame before joining American Eagle’s fleet.
It is worth noting that American Eagle’s fleet of Embraer E170s can accommodate a total of 65 passengers. According to Planespotters.net, American Eagle operates a fleet of 40 Embraer E170 jets.
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