A Belgian man faces the threat of spending up to 20 years in a US federal prison after he was arrested for a March 2024 incident in which he allegedly grabbed the breasts of a female flight attendant on a Swiss International Air Lines flight from Newark to Zurich.
Although the terrifying incident occurred on March 31, Jan Daeninck, 43, has only just been arrested and charged by prosecutors following a six-month investigation into what occurred on Swiss flight LX19.
According to recently filed court documents, Daeninck got up from his seat as the packed Airbus A330 aircraft with 236 passengers and 13 crew members onboard was still in its initial descent after takeoff and the seatbelt signs were still on.
Prosecutors claim Daeninck walked up to a female flight attendant and, without warning, 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 bith them while threatening to kill them.
As the alarming incident was unfolding in the cabin, the pilots of flight LX19 declared an emergency and requested an immediate diversion back to Newark so that law enforcement could meet the aircraft.
Passengers onboard the flight said that they were first alerted to something amiss when they heard a scream over the public address system. An eery silence then descended upon the cabin after flight attendant sprinted towards the front of the plane to help their colleague.
Prosecutors say the flight attendant eventually managed to restrain Daeninck on the floor close to the cockpit, where he remained until the plane landed back at Newark and he was led away by the police.
The male flight attendant had to be transported to the hospital to receive treatment for the injuries he sustained during the assault.
Daeninck has been charged with interfering with flight crew members, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment plus a $250,000 fine. He has also been accused of assault by beating, which carries a maximum sentence of one year imprisonment plus a $100,000 fine.
For the initial assault on the female flight attendant, Daeninck has also been charged with abusive sexual contact, which carries a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment plus a fine of up to $250,000.
Daeninck appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court on Monday and was subsequently released on a $100,000 unsecured bond.
