Vancouver man pleads guilty to assault aboard flight from Portland to Atlanta

A Vancouver man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to an assault aboard an airliner, after his interference with a flight attendant drove the plane’s pilot to make an emergency landing.

Bolutife Olusegun Olorunda, 29, pleaded guilty to assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction before a U.S. magistrate judge Tuesday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma.

On May 30, while aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 1156 flying from Portland to Atlanta, Olorunda “verbally assaulted and interfered with a flight attendant on the aircraft,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

He was singing out loud and screaming, disrupting other passengers, according to a federal complaint, and when a flight attendant contacted Olorunda, he ignored her and then threatened her.

The incident caused the pilot to declare an emergency on board, then divert for an emergency landing at Tulsa, Okla., International Airport.

Olorunda is set to be sentenced Oct. 10, court records show. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Olorunda faces a maximum prison term of six months, a fine of up to $5,000 and one year of supervision after release.

As part of his plea agreement, he’ll also have to pay restitution to Delta Air Lines in the amount of $9,118 for its expenses. He may also face civil fines from the Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.